By Bottari & Doyle, P.A.

Car accidents can result in whiplash, scrapes and cuts, broken bones, and more. The medical bills for car accident injuries quickly pile up, especially if an ambulance trip or hospital bill is involved. As Delray Beach car accident attorneys, we often get questions about who is responsible for medical bills after a car accident injury. Who pays the medical bills after a car accident in Florida? How do you make sure your medical bills are paid properly after a car accident injury claim? Read below to learn more about how to handle medical bills after a car accident.

Who pays the medical bills after a car accident in South Florida?

Any medical bills that you accrue from medical treatment related to a car accident are paid by your personal injury protection (PIP) insurance. In Florida, the three main auto insurance carriers are State Farm, Progressive and Geico Insurance. These carriers all issue personal injury protection coverage to your auto insurance policy. PIP insurance may pay up to $10,000.00 of medical bills if you have an emergency medical condition. If your doctor did not give you an emergency medical condition diagnosis, the insurance carriers may pay up to $2500.00 of medical bills.

It is your insurance carrier (if you have your own automobile) that pays your medical bills even if you were not at fault in an accident. If you do not own a vehicle, but live with someone who does own a vehicle, their insurance carrier may pay your bills. Additionally, if you were a passenger in a vehicle, and do not have your own car or live with someone who does, then the owner of the vehicle’s insurance carrier should pay your medical bills.

What if the medical bills cost more than $10,000?

A bodily injury claim may be filed against the owner and driver of the at-fault vehicle. The bodily injury claim is designed to compensate you for medical bills accrued beyond the $10,000 of personal injury protection benefits.

Will my car insurance premiums go up if I make a PIP claim?

We are often asked if car insurance premiums will go up if you make a PIP claim against your own insurance policy. The answer is possibly, even though in many cases this would be illegal. However, if you never make a legitimate claim for personal injury protection benefits, then you are essentially paying a tax to own a vehicle. This is because PIP insurance is mandatory in the State of Florida. You have the insurance for a reason. If you have it, but never use it, then it’s just a tax for you to lawfully drive your vehicle in Florida.

Who has legal liability for my medical bills after a car accident?

The medical bills for medical care you receive after a car accident are your responsibility, one way or another. Where the money comes from, however, depends on who is legally liable for the damages suffered. Most commonly, the driver of one of the vehicles involved makes a careless or reckless mistake, leading to a collision. In this instance, the driver who made the mistake faces legal liability for damages to anyone injured by his or her actions.

If the car accident was the result of a defect, the manufacturer may have liability. If a mechanic who works on a vehicle makes a careless or reckless mistake that leads to mechanical failure and an accident, then the mechanic may have legal liability for damages to anyone harmed. A mechanic may also share responsibility for an accident if he should reasonably have noticed a problem with a vehicle or vehicle part while making other repairs or conducting an inspection on the vehicle but failed to note that problem or to do anything about it.

What possible medical costs can be covered in a personal injury claim?

In assessing how much money a legally liable party may owe to a car accident victim, we focus we will make sure to focus not just on the costs of medical services, but also on medically-related items that can lead to enormous expenses, such as:

• Prosthetic devices
• Medical equipment such as wheelchairs, braces, etc.
• Therapy visits
• Healthcare costs for secondary medical conditions and health complications

Contact Us

You can contact me, Daniel Bottari, Esq. for a complimentary consultation at 561-588-2781, or visit my website at http://www.bottarianddoyle.com.  My office is in Delray Beach near Pineapple Grove.