When you get hurt in an accident, a personal injury settlement should help you pay for your medical bills and other expenses stemming from the accident. Getting your settlement can take a while though, so there are some other things that you should know about your obligations to pay your bills and what happens when you finally win your case. A Prince George’s County personal injury attorney can tell you more.
Should I Get Treatment After a Personal Injury Settlement?
You need to get treatment as soon as you can after an accident. You should not just wait for your personal injury settlement to come in. There are two reasons for this.
First, you need to make sure that your injuries do not get worse. You could easily re-injure yourself or let a medical problem become a larger issue because you did not address it in a timely manner. The other issue to worry about is that delaying medical care can actually hurt your case. The defendant might claim that your injuries were not so serious and that’s why you didn’t seek care right away. They could also argue that you received your injuries in another way after the accident occurred.
What Bills Can a Personal Injury Settlement Pay?
When you do get your personal injury settlement, it can be used to pay for a variety of medical expenses. It can help you cover things like:
- Surgery costs
- Hospital bills
- Lab fees
- Prescription medications
- Physical therapy bills
- The costs of future medical care that you’ll need because of your injuries
Before your settlement comes in, you may use your health insurance to pay for a significant portion of these expenses. If you do that, you should know what your insurer can do once you win compensation in a lawsuit.
Can My Health Insurer Take Money From My Settlement?
If your health insurance company paid some of your medical bills and then you received a personal injury settlement, you will probably be asked to pay the insurer back. This is called subrogation. They could file a lien and ask for a portion of the settlement.
This essentially prevents you from having two different parties pay your medical expenses. If your insurer paid $6,000 worth of your medical bills, they are entitled to ask for that back. Otherwise it’s like you received $12,000 in compensation for $6,000 in expenses.
Should I Hire a Personal Injury Attorney?
A lawyer won’t just help you build your case. They can also help you negotiate other matters, like the size of any lien against your personal injury settlement. Let us deal with the insurance companies while you focus on your recovery.
Schedule a Consultation Today
If you or a loved one suffered serious injuries in an accident, don’t pursue compensation on your own. Contact McCarthy, Winkelman & Mester, L.L.P. and ask about our free case consultations. We’re ready to help you fight for a generous personal injury settlement.
