When tending to an injury after a car crash, bills should be the last thing on your mind. But hospital and healthcare bills can pile up regardless of how you feel. In general, auto insurance companies pay for the medical expenses of car crash victims they insure.
Allowing an auto insurer to pay sounds simple enough, but sometimes insurers deny claims or take too long to pay. What can you do when an auto insurer does not pay your healthcare expenses? Does health insurance cover car accident bills? Sometimes, health insurance will cover your crash-related expenses, but whether you can receive health insurance coverage for collision-related injuries depends on the terms of your insurance policy. At Greenspan & Greenspan Injury Lawyers, our experienced attorneys work hard to handle all the ins and outs of car accident cases, and we can help make sure your health expenses are covered while you rest and heal.
Basic Auto Insurance Requirements in New York
New York law requires each driver in the state to purchase insurance that includes the following:
- Liability coverage;
- No-fault coverage, also known as personal injury protection or PIP; and
- Uninsured motorist coverage.
Each type of coverage can address the healthcare needs of the individual insured by the policy or someone harmed by the insured person’s use of their car.
Seeking Coverage Through Your Car Insurance Policy
New York insurance law requires auto insurance carriers to pay for the medical costs of their customers involved in car accidents. You might have a right to compensation for your healthcare costs under no-fault or (PIP) benefits, liability benefits, or uninsured motorist benefits.
Under the law, if you have the minimum required coverage, PIP benefits pay up to $50,000 for healthcare expenses. You might be able to handle any excess losses through a lawsuit against the at-fault person and their insurance company.
The minimum liability insurance coverage required by law will pay up to $25,000 for a single person’s bodily injuries and up to $50,000 for the bodily injuries of multiple survivors.
If the at-fault party does not have insurance, you can make a claim with your own carrier for uninsured motorist benefits. The minimum uninsured motorist coverage pays up to $25,000 for the injuries of one surviving accident victim and up to $50,000 for multiple surviving accident victims. Now, let’s talk about what might happen if you seek coverage for your healthcare needs through your health insurance provider.
Does Health Insurance Cover Car Accident Injuries?
As a resident of this state, you might have multiple types of insurance coverage. With multiple types of insurance available, you might ask, Does health insurance cover car accident bills? In theory, the answer to this question is that your health insurance might cover your costs. However, practically speaking, health insurance often does not cover these costs.
In general, the law in New York states that health insurance providers cannot exclude or limit coverage based on any of the following factors:
- The type of accident,
- The type of treatment, or
- The type of condition or illness involved.
Given this prohibition, a healthcare insurer might have an obligation to pay for medical bills resulting from a car accident, but there are exceptions to this obligation. While the general law requires health insurers to pay for treatment related to car accidents, the insurer can exclude payments covered by PIP benefits from an auto insurer.
Therefore, if you have been in a car crash and have questions about your health insurance coverage, look at your policy language to see if there is an exception in the terms. However, we know insurance policies can be hard to read and understand. That is why we can handle it for you. When you hire Greenspan & Greenspan Injury Lawyers, we take care of all case details for you and let you tend to the business of healing.
What Should I Do If I Have Been in an Accident?
Every case is different, but here are some basic steps that most car accident victims should take after a collision:
- Seek medical attention immediately. Even if you do not have severe symptoms, some medical conditions take time to become obvious and should be addressed by a healthcare professional right away. Delays can cause an insurer to question whether the injuries were related to the crash or happened at a later date.
- Talk to an attorney as soon as possible. A skilled and knowledgeable attorney can help ensure you meet all important legal deadlines and do not miss crucial steps or information necessary to assert your rights.
- Report your accident. To avoid penalties and support your insurance claim, you must report your accident to law enforcement within 10 days.
- File a claim with the at-fault party’s insurance. If your injuries are serious or your costs exceed your PIP coverage, you can seek compensation through the at-fault party’s insurance. If they do not have insurance, you can file a claim under your own uninsured motorist coverage.
- Gather evidence. Keep track of your medical expenses, medical records, wage losses, other expenses, and accident-related life changes to maximize your damages.
- Keep up with your medical care. Keeping consistent with all care recommendations can help ensure that you heal as much as possible.
- File a lawsuit. If the insurance company refuses to provide adequate compensation for your losses, you can file a lawsuit within three years of the accident to obtain what you deserve.
You do not have to take these steps alone. In fact, having an experienced attorney handle these tasks for you can be essential to the success of your case. Greenspan & Greenspan Injury Lawyers can help.
Reach Out to Us Today
Dealing with an insurance company after a car accident can be full of obstacles. Our experienced attorneys from Greenspan & Greenspan Injury Lawyers can cut through the difficulties. We have been advocating for injured victims for decades, and we handle every step of your case while you focus on recovering. Please call us or contact us online today to schedule a consultation.
