Processing a car accident claim can take time; however, your medical treatment after a car accident cannot wait. Fortunately, you don’t always have to pay your medical bills while still waiting for your car accident settlement. Instead, there are options available to you under Washington’s fault-based injury laws, including medical liens against your settlement.
Most crash victims in Washington require immediate emergency medical care, and then further procedures and often physical therapy. So, how do you pay for your medical care before receiving a settlement? The most important step is to consult an experienced car accident lawyer in Arlington.
What Are My Options for Paying Medical Expenses Before My Car Accident Settlement In Washington?
If someone else caused your accident, it’s important to save copies of your medical bills, invoices, and receipts for out-of-pocket costs, for instance, for traveling to see specialists or for medical equipment or services you need at home during your recovery. These become key evidence needed to recover compensation for these economic losses in your claim against the insurance of the at-fault party. In the meantime, you may have options to pay for your medical care, such as those described below:
- Your regular private healthcare insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid will cover your medical bills, often placing a lien against your car accident settlement to recover payment for their contribution to your care from the at-fault party’s insurance. This process is known as subrogation.
- The hospital or medical facility may provide your care without insurance by directly placing a medical lien against your settlement and then collecting its portion when the settlement comes through.
- If you have personal injury protection (PIP) coverage on your auto insurance, you can also file a claim against that coverage for your medical expenses. These typically pay out faster than a settlement from another driver’s insurance, which will assign an adjuster to the case to investigate the accident.
An experienced Arlington injury attorney will tell you more about the options for compensation available to you based on the unique circumstances of your case.
Maximizing Your Washington Car Accident Settlement
A Washington car accident claim against an at-fault driver’s insurance is limited by the amount of insurance coverage the driver carries. Often, this is only the minimum state requirement. Learning that a significant portion of your settlement goes to pay medical liens or for subrogation can be distressing. However, there are other types of damages you can claim besides medical expenses. For instance, the following damages could be available to you depending on the circumstances of your accident and injuries:
- Compensation for lost earnings and future income loss
- Compensation for out-of-pocket costs related to the injury
- Compensation for pain and suffering
- Compensation for any catastrophic injury damages you’ve suffered, such as loss of limb, permanent scarring, disfigurement, the loss of one of the senses, loss of an organ, or loss of enjoyment of life/diminished quality of life
In addition, if your damages from the accident far exceed the limits of the at-fault party’s insurance, you can make a claim for compensation against your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage if you kept this valuable coverage on your policy. Washington requires insurance providers to add this coverage, but policyholders may decline it with a written waiver.
Finally, if a third party contributed to the accident, such as a negligent road maintenance or road planning agency, a third-party lawsuit could recover additional compensation.
An experienced car accident lawyer explores all legal avenues to maximize the compensation you recover in your claim. Contact us today.