Medical Bills from Minnesota Accident — Who Pays?
If you have been injured in an accident, the most important initial questions are who will pay the medical bills and how will you recover your lost wages. Our Minnesota personal injury lawyers answer these questions every day. We help people get their medical bills paid and recover their lost wages after an accident. Here is a short overview of the answer for how to get medical bills paid after an accident. These are the most common situations seen by our attorneys.
WHO PAYS MEDICAL BILLS AFTER A CAR ACCIDENT
If you are injured in a motor vehicle accident in Minnesota, then YOUR automobile insurance company is responsible for paying your initial medical bills. This is true even if you have health insurance coverage. MN No-Fault law requires that your auto insurance pay your medical bills even if the other driver is at fault.
Your own auto insurance pays your medical bills even if you are a passenger in someone else’s vehicle. See What are “No-Fault” Benefits? If you are a passenger in someone else’s car and you don’t own your own vehicle, then the medical bills will most likely be paid by the automobile insurance of a relative you live with or the owner of the car you are in at the time of the crash.
Unfortunately, the medical insurance from your automobile policy is usually limited to $20,000. This means that if you have a more serious car accident with higher medical bills, you will also need to have access to health insurance or state aid. If the other driver is at fault, their insurance will ultimately have to pay your medical bills that are more than $20,000, by repaying your health insurance or paying the bills directly. But this doesn’t happen until the final settlement of your case. Car accident injury cases are the cases our lawyers handle most frequently.
MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT MEDICAL BILLS
If your injury occurs while you are on a motorcycle, you may or may not have medical coverage from your motorcycle policy. While No-Fault medical coverage is required by law for all cars, it unfortunately is not mandatory for motorcycle insurance. Therefore, whether you have medical coverage on your motorcycle depends on whether you purchased it as part of your insurance policy.
If you do not have medical coverage as part of your motorcycle insurance, you can still get your medical bills paid through your own health insurance, and ultimately through the liability insurance of the driver of the car that caused your accident. Our attorneys represent many people injured in a motorcycle accident every year.
WHO PAYS MEDICAL BILLS AFTER A WORK ACCIDENT
If you are injured while you are on the job, your employer’s workers compensation insurance is required to pay your medical bills. However ,if your injury is caused by a third party (someone not related to your employer), e.g. you are delivering pizza and you are rear ended, or you are injured by a defective machine, then you have an additional claim that our lawyers can help you with. Also, your employer’s workers compensation insurance will be repaid out of any future settlement you have with the third party who is responsible for the accident.
WHO PAYS MEDICAL BILLS AFTER A SLIP AND FALL ACCIDENT OR OTHER ACCIDENT ON SOMEONE’S PROPERTY
If you were not injured in a car accident or a work related accident, then your health insurance company will most likely be required to initially pay your medical bills – even if your injury was someone else’s fault. However, you may still have a compensation claim against the property owner or other responsible party. In those circumstances, your health insurance company will likely also have a right to obtain reimbursement out of any compensation or recovery you may receive from the person or business that caused your injury.
It is also possible that the property owner has what is known as “medical payment coverage” through their homeowners insurance or general liability insurance. This may pay a limited amount of your medical bills as well.
If you do not have health insurance, you may be able to qualify for state medical benefits – even if you are employed. For more information, check out the Minnesota Department of Human Services at www.dhs.state.mn.us.
EXPERIENCED INJURY LAWYERS
You may be entitled to other medical benefits. For more information about what medical benefits may be available to you after you have been injured in an accident, contact our law firm and speak with a personal injury lawyer. Our lawyers have more than 25 years of experience successfully handling hundreds of accident injury cases throughout Minnesota.
Pam Rochlin or David Rochlin will discuss your case with you and explain your rights, including how to get your medical bills paid from the accident. There is no obligation on your part, and we always only charge a percentage of the compensation you receive from the other party’s insurance.
You can discuss how to get your accident medical bills paid with an attorney at our offices in Minneapolis, Edina, Woodbury, and St. Louis Park. A lawyer will also meet you to discuss accident related medical bills and other issues related to your injury case at your home in St. Paul, Roseville, White Bear Lake, Brooklyn Park, Maple Grove, Rogers, Elk River, Chanhassen, Chaska, Prior Lake, Apple Valley, Burnsville, and other cities throughout Minnesota.