One of the most stressful aspects of being seriously injured in a Mississippi car accident is figuring out how to pay the medical bills. Serious injuries can require extensive medical treatment and a lengthy recovery. A car accident victim can face high medical expenses and have no income to pay the mounting bills.
Potential options for covering medical bills after a car accident in Mississippi are:
Insurance Coverage and Med Pay
Mississippi follows a traditional at-fault car insurance system. By law, all Mississippi drivers must carry minimum coverage limits of:
- $25,000 for bodily injury or death or one person in an accident
- $50,000 for bodily injuries or deaths of two or more people in an accident
- $25,000 for property damage in one accident
After a car crash, the car accident victims typically turn to the at-fault person’s auto insurance for compensation. The at-fault driver’s insurance carrier is responsible for the payment of medical bills and other financial losses related to the collision caused by their policyholder. But the higher the accident costs, the more likely the insurance carrier is to dispute the claims.
In addition to auto liability coverage, car owners in Mississippi can also purchase additional auto insurance coverage, such as uninsured motorist coverage, collision insurance, and comprehensive insurance. Many insurance companies offer Medical Payments coverage. Med Pay coverage provides immediate funding to pay the medical expenses of you and your passengers who sustained car accident injuries, regardless of who was at fault.
Med Pay coverage is beneficial when drivers have high-deductible health insurance plans. It provides assistance with medical bills associated with the crash.
Health Insurance
Filing an insurance claim and recovering the money you need takes time. In the meantime, you have bills, and medical providers may require immediate payments to cover co-pays, prescriptions, and medical procedures. If you have health insurance through an employer, Medicare, Medicaid, or the VA, your insurance policy may help cover your accident-related medical expenses.
If your health insurance provider does cover the cost of your accident-related medical bills, the insurer can demand repayment if you receive a claim settlement or recover money from a personal injury lawsuit. Some companies may also place a lien on settlements and recoveries. A medical lien ensures that the hospital or insurer is paid out of any settlement or court award you receive.
Filing a Claim Against the At-Fault Driver
You should have a car accident lawyer review any settlement offer you receive from the other driver’s insurer. A quick settlement offer may sound like a lot of money, but it is typically a low offer that does not reflect the full value of a claim. A quick offer is intended to close the claim quickly and limit the insurer’s financial liability. Many insurance companies hope you’ll accept an initial offer in your vulnerable state, allowing them to settle the case and avoid further responsibility. Accepting a quick offer is typically not in the accident victim’s best interests.
Our experienced Gulfport car accident lawyers can review your injuries and calculate the full value of your losses, including current and future medical expenses and lost income.
The attorney will manage communications with the insurance company regarding your claim, keep track of court filing deadlines, and collect evidence that supports your claim. If the insurer refuses to negotiate a settlement in good faith, your attorney may file a personal injury lawsuit demanding the full compensation you need.
Mississippi follows a pure comparative negligence system. That means you can recover compensation from a car accident-related lawsuit, even if you are partly at fault. Suppose you file a personal injury lawsuit. A court examines all evidence and assigns liability to each party for their part in causing the crash.
If you are found to be partly at fault for the auto accident in Mississippi, you may still recover compensation. But any compensation you are awarded by the court would be reduced in proportion to your share of fault for the accident. This rule binds all court decisions. It may also guide how an insurance company values your auto accident claim if you suffered injuries. Having an experienced injury attorney advocating on your behalf offers you the best chance of obtaining the maximum amount of compensation available in your personal injury case.
Get the Help You Need from Our Experienced Attorneys Near You
The personal injury team at Haug, Farrar & Franco, PLLC, is committed to serving the people of Mississippi and helping them pursue the best possible outcome. You aren’t a case number to us. We will treat you with courtesy and respect. If you are confused about the appropriate steps to take to recover money for your medical expenses and your head is spinning from the runaround you’ve received from another party’s insurance company, let us take on the responsibility of seeking meaningful compensation for you.
Avoid the trauma and frustration of dealing with an insurance company on your own and trying to recover money for medical bills. Turn to a knowledgeable car accident lawyer at Haug, Farrar & Franco, PLLC, for help. Fill out our online form or call our Gulfport office today at (228) 872-8752 for a free case consultation.