Auto Accident Medical Bills
St. Louis car accident lawyer
Being injured in a
car accident is a big deal. Not only is your car damaged, but you have injuries that require medical care that doesn't come cheap. Cars can be repaired or replaced relatively inexpensively. Repairs to the human body, on the other hand, are extremely expensive and results are never guaranteed. Who pays for your medical treatment if you are involved in a
Missouri car accident? What if you don't have health insurance and are seriously injured? These situations can drive the stress level through the roof for an injury victim.
If you have health insurance, ALL treatment should be billed through that insurance company, NOT the car insurance company of the negligent driver. If you don't have health insurance, you have a couple of options. First, contact a
Missouri car accident injury lawyer and ask him or her to contact your doctors and notify them of a pending personal injury claim. Your personal injury lawyer may be able to convince your doctors to withhold from collections against you for treatment...with the promise that your lawyer will submit a "letter of protection" to the doctor's office. The attorney letter of protection is a promise to the doctor that your lawyer will pay the medical bills upon conclusion of the car accident claim.
If your doctor's have already sent your bills to a collection agency, your lawyer may be able to step in and defend you from complete credit destruction. Hospitals and doctors will take aggressive legal action against you if you are injured and don't have health insurance to pay the bill. Your credit can be ruined and a public judgment may be entered against you. Don't wait for this to take place, contact a
St. Louis accident and injury attorney immediately after a serious crash.
St. Louis Accident Injury Lawyer Can Help With Medical Bills
If you have been injured in a car accident and don't have health insurance, there are other options if you need medical treatment. This is a serious problem...if you are injured and don't get the treatment you need, you will never be fully compensated for your personal injury claim. However, if you don't have health insurance, doctors won't treat you unless you pre-pay. There is one other option. In some cases, a personal injury attorney may be able to inquire if the doctor will provide you with quality medical treatment if that doctor places a lien with the car insurance company involved in your injury case.
If you are able to get medical treatment without health insurance, your doctor will want payment from your settlement. This is essentially a medical lien and must be honored, otherwise you can be sued by the doctor for more than just the bill. Most doctors won't offer treatment without your signature acknowledging the lien, and a letter from the car insurance company vowing to pay the doctor upon settlement.