{"id":2542,"date":"2016-03-09T21:08:01","date_gmt":"2016-03-09T21:08:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/heathinjurylaw.com\/?page_id=2542"},"modified":"2022-05-09T18:16:02","modified_gmt":"2022-05-09T18:16:02","slug":"common-car-accident-questions","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/heathinjurylaw.com\/articles\/common-car-accident-questions","title":{"rendered":"Common Questions  that Come up After a Car Accident"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-1 fusion-flex-container nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"--awb-border-radius-top-left:0px;--awb-border-radius-top-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-left:0px;--awb-flex-wrap:wrap;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row fusion-flex-align-items-flex-start fusion-flex-content-wrap\" style=\"max-width:1216.8px;margin-left: calc(-4% \/ 2 );margin-right: calc(-4% \/ 2 );\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-0 fusion_builder_column_1_1 1_1 fusion-flex-column\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;--awb-width-large:100%;--awb-margin-top-large:0px;--awb-spacing-right-large:1.92%;--awb-margin-bottom-large:0px;--awb-spacing-left-large:1.92%;--awb-width-medium:100%;--awb-spacing-right-medium:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-medium:1.92%;--awb-width-small:100%;--awb-spacing-right-small:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-small:1.92%;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-start fusion-content-layout-column\"><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-1\"><p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-2450\" src=\"http:\/\/heathinjurylaw.com\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/IMG_20140519_111034-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"car wreck: broken leg\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/heathinjurylaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/IMG_20140519_111034-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/heathinjurylaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/IMG_20140519_111034-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/heathinjurylaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/IMG_20140519_111034.jpg 2448w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/>I recently spoke at a Continuing Legal Education seminar on common questions\u00a0that come up after a car accident. Below are some of those questions and my\u00a0responses to those questions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Should I go to the hospital?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you are experiencing any pain after the accident, then yes, go get checked out.<\/p>\n<p>The longer you wait to get medical treatment, the harder it may be to connect your\u00a0injuries to the car crash. Insurance companies love to treat injured victims like\u00a0they are manufacturing an injury when there has been a delay in treatment.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Who is supposed to cover my medical bills?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Medical bills after an accident lead to a lot of confusion. While you will be able to\u00a0make a claim against the other driver at some point, the negligent driver\u2019s\u00a0insurance company will not pay your medical bills without a release. Health care\u00a0providers, however, will not want to wait until a case is resolved to get paid.<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, you should submit all medical bills to your own health insurance if\u00a0possible. You should also try to pay any co-pays and deductibles along the way to\u00a0avoid bills being sent to collections. When you have completed treatment, then a\u00a0demand can be made against the other driver for your medical expenses.<\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube\" style=\"--awb-max-width:800px;--awb-max-height:450px;--awb-align-self:center;--awb-width:100%;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><div class=\"fluid-width-video-wrapper\" style=\"padding-top:56.25%;\" ><iframe title=\"YouTube video player 1\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/a6Po5FNxo3I?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0&amp;rel=0\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-2\"><p><strong>3. How much does a lawyer cost?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Most lawyers that handle claims for car accidents operate on a contingency fee.<\/p>\n<p>This means the lawyers will only be paid if there is a successful recovery. If there\u00a0is a recovery, then the lawyer will take out expenses and then calculate a fee based\u00a0upon an agreed percentage.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. What\u2019s my claim worth?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The value of a claim depends on many factors. A major factor that drives the value\u00a0of your claim is by looking at the economic loss. Economic loss includes costs\u00a0associated with medical treatment as well as time off work. Economic loss can\u00a0include both past and future losses.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to the economic loss, you may be entitled to non-economic damages\u00a0such as pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life. While there is no easy\u00a0formula to calculate non-economic damages, they are often connected to the\u00a0medical treatment and bills. To best understand the value of a claim, you should\u00a0contact a lawyer that specializes in personal injury claims.<\/p>\n<p><strong>5. Will I have to pay back my health insurance?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Under some circumstances, you may have to pay your health insurer back for\u00a0any payments made on your behalf that were the result of another party\u2019s\u00a0negligence. Traditional health insurance does not have a right to be paid back.<\/p>\n<p>This right is commonly called \u201csubrogation.\u201d What I mean by traditional health\u00a0insurance is you or your employer pay premiums to purchase an insurance policy.<\/p>\n<p>Thus, the insurance company is paying its funds to cover any medical expense.<\/p>\n<p>Some companies, however, provide health coverage through fully self-funded\u00a0ERISA plans. This means the company places its own money into a fund. The\u00a0fund is then used to pay any claims for its employees. There may be a third party\u00a0retained to manage the fund, but the money in the fund belongs to the employer.<\/p>\n<p>Under this circumstance, the employer is entitled to be paid back.<\/p>\n<p>The company\u2019s rights depend on the language contained in its health care plan\u00a0documents. The right for the company to be paid back may even trump the\u00a0lawyer\u2019s right to an attorney\u2019s fee. This is why it is extremely important to discuss\u00a0your claim early with an experienced car accident attorney so he can protect you\u00a0and your rights when dealing with ERISA health plans.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to ERISA plans, Medicare will also need to be paid back. If you are a\u00a0Medicare beneficiary, then you will also have a duty to inform Medicare of any\u00a0potential claim and recovery. Fortunately, Medicare will reduce the amount it is\u00a0owed by the procurement costs, which include the attorney\u2019s fee and expenses.<\/p>\n<p><strong>6. What if the other driver doesn\u2019t have insurance or the state\u00a0minimums?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If the other driver does not have insurance, then you will have to file a claim\u00a0against your own insurance company for uninsured motorist coverage. This is\u00a0especially true given the difficulties with collecting against a negligent driver\u2019s\u00a0personal assets, and the likelihood an uninsured driver will not have any assets to\u00a0collect. Uninsured motorist coverage is mandatory in both Missouri and Kansas.<\/p>\n<p>Similarly, if the negligent driver only has the state minimums in liability coverage\u00a0($25,000 per person\/$50,000 per occurrence), then you will need to make a claim\u00a0for underinsure motorist coverage. Underinsured motorist coverage is required in\u00a0Kansas, but optional in Missouri. Thus, you should verify with your insurance\u00a0agent that your policy does in fact have underinsured motorist coverage.<\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube\" style=\"--awb-max-width:800px;--awb-max-height:450px;--awb-align-self:center;--awb-width:100%;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><div class=\"fluid-width-video-wrapper\" style=\"padding-top:56.25%;\" ><iframe title=\"YouTube video player 2\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-tWiq7dhEvk?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0&amp;rel=0\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-1 fusion_builder_column_1_1 1_1 fusion-flex-column\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;--awb-width-large:100%;--awb-margin-top-large:0px;--awb-spacing-right-large:1.92%;--awb-margin-bottom-large:0px;--awb-spacing-left-large:1.92%;--awb-width-medium:100%;--awb-spacing-right-medium:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-medium:1.92%;--awb-width-small:100%;--awb-spacing-right-small:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-small:1.92%;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-start fusion-content-layout-column\"><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-3\"><p><strong>7. How long will my claim take?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There are numerous factors that impact how long a claim will take. One of the\u00a0most important factors is when the injured victim has finished treatment. You do\u00a0not want to attempt resolution of a claim until you have been released from the\u00a0doctor. A claim that is not resolved through negotiations with the insurance\u00a0company pre-suit will require a lawsuit to be filed. This begins the litigation phase\u00a0of a car accident claim with the end goal being a jury trial. Most cases are set for\u00a0trial about a year after they are filed. Given all these facts, I generally tell clients\u00a0that it can take 18 months to two years before a case is resolved.<\/p>\n<p>A car accident can have a devastating impact on your life, and the legal issues that\u00a0arise after an accident require an experienced attorney that knows how to navigate\u00a0the process. At Heath Injury Law LLC, we hold insurance companies\u00a0accountable by vigorously pursuing claims to maximize the value for our clients.<\/p>\n<p>If you or a loved one has been in a <a href=\"http:\/\/heathinjurylaw.com\/\/practice-areas\/car-motor-vehicle-accidents\">car crash<\/a>, then please do not hesitate to <a href=\"http:\/\/heathinjurylaw.com\/\/contact-us\">contact\u00a0our firm<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1725\" src=\"http:\/\/heathinjurylaw.com\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/SAM_0091.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of car wrecked by texting teenager\" width=\"601\" height=\"338\" srcset=\"https:\/\/heathinjurylaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/SAM_0091-300x168.jpg 300w, https:\/\/heathinjurylaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/SAM_0091.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 601px) 100vw, 601px\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":35,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.5 - 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