Who pays medical bills after a car accident varies from one collision to the next. In most cases, one or more insurance companies pay for the medical bills of those involved in the collision. If an accident victim decides to sue, then the parties that caused the accident may cover their medical expenses.
For you, the most important concern is that somebody pays for your medical costs. You may not care whether the paying party is an insurance company or the party that caused your accident. So long as your medical bills (and other damages) get paid, you may feel that justice has been fulfilled. Reach out to an experienced Arizona car accident lawyer today!
Arizona uses a fault-based insurance framework (rather than a no-fault system). This means that, when a motorist causes an accident, they or their insurance company are wholly responsible for the victim’s accident-related losses.
With this in mind, accident victims like you may seek compensation for medical bills from:
Motorists in Arizona are required to purchase insurance coverage of:
If another motorist caused your accident, you will likely seek compensation for medical care through this coverage.
While the at-fault party’s insurance company may be liable for your medical bills, you may seek compensation from your own insurance provider if:
Insurance policies are daunting for most non-attorneys. Even if you can understand the details of various insurance policies, you might not know how those details translate to your case. A lawyer can be a massively valuable resource when seeking compensation for medical bills and other accident-related losses.
Read more: What Can a Lawyer Do for You After a Car Accident?
The majority of car accident victims are able to secure a fair settlement, whether through the claims process or after filing a lawsuit. In these cases, insurance companies are usually the party that pays for the accident victim’s losses (including medical costs).
However, you may choose to sue the party or parties who are directly responsible for causing the accident. While insurance companies generally represent these parties in a lawsuit, the at-fault party may ultimately pay for some or all of your damages.
Parties who can be defendants in car accident lawsuits include:
Your attorney will identify all at-fault and liable parties early in your case. As your lawyer negotiates with insurance companies, it will become clear whether you will need to sue one or more liable parties.
Read more: Filing a Lawsuit After an Uber or Lyft Car Accident
Those who cause accidents are clear candidates to be sued. There are other people and organizations who can also be sued, even if they did not directly cause the accident. Examples of such liable parties include:
It can be very difficult to determine whose insurance company to seek money from, how much money to seek from each insurer, and when to sue. Allow an experienced car accident lawyer to evaluate all relevant information and propose a tailor-made strategy for you.
Your attorney will formulate a case strategy fit specifically for you, and that strategy may involve:
The typical car accident victim does not know whether they should file an insurance claim or a lawsuit—and why would they? Car accidents are rare events, and each accident presents different challenges and realities for the victim.
Allow a car accident lawyer to advise you based on their training and years of relevant experience. Whether you pursue an insurance claim or lawsuit, you may be at peace with a capable attorney representing your interests.
Convincing someone to pay for your medical bills after a car accident is not as simple as it may sound. In fact, countless car accident victims:
You shouldn’t have to determine whether insurance companies are handling your case in good faith. For that matter, you shouldn’t have to deal with any aspect of a car accident claim or lawsuit. Allow an attorney to lead your case because:
An accomplished car accident attorney and their law firm will bring many assets and benefits to your case, which includes:
Your lawyer will not charge an upfront fee or hourly rate for these valuable resources. Instead, your lawyer will only receive their fee if you get a settlement or verdict. This is called a contingency fee agreement, and it enables you to hire a car accident lawyer even if you are facing financial difficulty.
Read more: What Can a Lawyer Do for You After a Car Accident?
An attorney is protection. If you hire a car accident lawyer, you won’t be vulnerable to the many common bad-faith insurance practices, which include:
When insurance companies deal with accident victims, they often assume the victim can be taken advantage of. When you hire a lawyer, insurance companies know they’re dealing with a more experienced party—this fact alone may reduce the number of bad-faith tactics related to your claim.
Read more: What to Do After a Car Accident
As your lawyer deals with insurance companies and seeks a fair settlement for you, they will account for all of your accident-related damages. Medical bills are always an important (and often costly) class of damages, but it’s not the only damage accident victims face.
Car accident victims often deal with:
The connection between car accidents and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is well-established. You may not only suffer symptoms of PTSD, but also:
If you aren’t a lawyer, it can be very difficult to figure out the cost of pain and suffering—or even whether certain types of pain and suffering entitle you to compensation. Your car accident attorney will identify your compensable pain and suffering and all treatment that entitles you to compensation.
Read more: Who Is At Fault in a Multi-Car Accident?
If a car accident results in an injury, it almost always results in significant damage to the vehicle. Your car accident lawyer will seek compensation to cover vehicle repairs, the replacement cost of a totaled vehicle, temporary transportation costs, and any other financial burdens related to damaged property.
Injuries often cause car accident victims to take time away from their jobs and careers. These absences—whether relatively brief or long-term—can cause:
When a car accident victim has to leave their job or is permanently disabled, they may also lose benefits like healthcare coverage and paid time off.
Read more: Do Most Car Accident Cases Go to Court?
Disabling injuries take a heavy economic and non-economic toll on a person (and their loved ones). Damages associated with disabling injuries include:
An attorney will also represent you if you have lost a loved one. Fatal car accidents are devastating, and a lawyer will handle your case so you can prioritize your recovery and time spent with your loved ones.
Read more: What Lies Ahead If You File (or Your Legal Team Files) a Car Accident Lawsuit
Your car accident lawyer will be a full-service resource responsible for every detail of your case. Some common responsibilities in car accident cases include:
Attorneys handle these responsibilities almost daily for years on end. This sharpens their negotiation skills, allows them to avoid the delays that come with inexperience, and makes them ideally suited to represent you.
There are almost always deadlines for filing car accident lawsuits. Insurance companies and local authorities may also require you to report injuries and file insurance claims soon after your accident.
Don’t wait to hire your Arizona personal injury lawyer today.
Now: your health insurance and/or Medical Payments (MedPay) (if you purchased it) can pay immediate, reasonable/necessary expenses regardless of fault. Later: the at-fault driver’s liability (minimum 25/50/15) and, if needed, your UM/UIM reimburse/settle.
MedPay = optional, first-party coverage that pays your crash-related medical and funeral bills regardless of fault (often covering deductibles/copays). In Arizona, provider liens do not attach to MedPay or UM/UIM proceeds.
Yes, with limits.
Medicare makes conditional payments and must be reimbursed from any settlement/judgment.
Providers may assert a health-care provider lien against third-party (at-fault) recoveries—but not against health insurance, MedPay, or UM/UIM. (A.R.S. §33-931).
AHCCCS (Medicaid) has a statutory lien and recovery rights on injury proceeds it paid for (A.R.S. §36-2915).
Use your UM/UIM. Arizona requires insurers to offer UM/UIM (A.R.S. §20-259.01). Timing matters: under A.R.S. §12-555, you must give written notice within 3 years, then request arbitration or file suit within 3 years after that notice (policy terms apply).
Injury/property lawsuit: generally 2 years from accrual (A.R.S. §12-542).
UM/UIM: 3-year notice + 3 years after notice to arbitrate/sue (A.R.S. §12-555). Calendar both.