A car accident you suffer in Atlanta, GA can result in property damage as well as injuries, which may rack up significant medical bills. The injuries range from mild to serious or even critical. Some heal in a matter of weeks; others may take months or years, yet others can result in permanent limitations and disabilities.
The medical bills associated with recovering from your injuries also vary depending on their nature and severity. Depending on the type of injury you suffer, you may be looking at several thousand dollars, or tens of thousands of dollars, or even more in medical costs. These typically include the costs of diagnosis, treatment, physician’s fees, visits to and from the medical facility, medical tests, therapy, rehabilitation, specialized equipment, long-term medical support, and so on.
When you suffer a car crash, you are already under a lot of stress. In addition, you face a financial crunch as you have to deal with property damage, lost wages, and other unexpected expenses. At such a time, you may naturally be concerned as to how to cover your medical costs or if you can have them reimbursed at all. Here’s the answer to this.
You Pay Your Own Medical Bills
Any car accident settlement can take some time. It takes anywhere between a few months and some yeas. So whether or not you receive any compensatory damages is not immediately clear. In the meanwhile, you must undergo medical treatment on your path to healing and recovery. So you are stuck with the medical bills which you must pay for the time being. Over time, it may be possible for you to have an at-fault party to cover these medical bills.
You Utilize Your MedPay Coverage
MedPay is an optional auto insurance coverage. Depending on the type of coverage you purchase, it may partly or fully cover you for the medical costs incurred after a car accident. The good thing about MedPay coverage is that you don’t need to have the fault or negligence determined. Instead, MedPay coverage works whether you or the other driver was at fault. This means that no time is wasted and you are able to have your medical costs taken care of right away.
You file with the At-Fault Driver’s Insurer
Georgia is not a no-fault state. This means that per Georgia laws, an at-fault party is determined after an accident. This at-fault party is then liable to pay for the injuries and other losses sustained by a victim in the accident. If your injuries were from a crash caused by another person’s negligence, you can file a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurer. In this claim, you can ask to be fully reimbursed for your medical costs as well as lost wages and pain and suffering.
When you file a claim with the other driver’s insurer, the insurance company is very likely to resist. This is simply because the insurer wants to pay as little as possible on their client’s behalf. You will need the help of a qualified attorney at this stage. A good attorney will negotiate on your behalf and make sure you get a fair settlement from the company. The attorney will also counter any unfair objections raised by the company.
You File a Lawsuit
In many cases, you may need to file a car accident damages lawsuit in order to cover the medical bills and other expenses following the crash. A lawsuit becomes your final option for a number of reasons. These include:
- The other driver’s insurer is not offering a fair settlement.
- The other driver’s insurance is not sufficient to cover your losses.
- The other driver does not carry insurance.
When either of these scenarios occurs, your only chance of recovering compensation may be through a lawsuit. However, it is important to note that lawsuits can take a long time, several years on average, to reach a conclusion. It can also result in additional expenses in terms of legal costs. So it is usually best to reach a settlement, if possible before a lawsuit has to be filed.
Hiring a Reliable Atlanta Car Accident Attorney
If you have suffered a car accident in Atlanta, Ted Greve & Associates can help you. We understand that you may be under a lot of stress following a car crash. This is why we work closely with you to explore all options which may help cover your immediate costs and also reimburse you for the full range of your crash-related losses. Reach out to us today to discuss your car crash claim in a free session.
