Who Pays Your Medical Bills After a Car Accident if You Were Not at Fault?

If you suffer a personal injury in a car accident caused by someone else, your first priority will be to seek medical treatment. But as you write a check for that emergency room visit, you will likely wonder, “Who should be paying for this?”

Indeed, being hurt in an auto accident and then facing immediate and sometimes staggering medical bills is a double whammy. It’s important to know the ropes on financial responsibility.

Are you in a fault or no-fault state?

Generally, if you get into a car accident, you are responsible for payment of your medical bills as you incur them. If someone else is at fault, that person must pay damages to resolve your lawsuit, and your medical bills may be part of those damages. But until that lawsuit is filed and settled, you are responsible for the bills. This is true in Ohio and most other states. No-fault states are the exception, as in these states your automobile insurance company will pay some or all of your medical bills, even though you were not at fault.

What if the other driver is uninsured?

If you are injured by an uninsured driver in Ohio, then suing for recovery of damages may be an exercise in futility. If you have Uninsured Motorist Coverage (UIM), you can recover the costs of accident-related medical expenses. If you do not have this coverage, you will likely not be able to recover damages.

Can a health insurance policy cover auto accident injuries?

Generally, the first payments in a car accident injury come from automobile insurance policy. Medical bills are charged up to the policy limits before health insurance comes into play.

If you are overwhelmed with medical bills following a car accident in Ohio, contact Nager, Romaine & Schneiberg Co., L.P.A. for an initial consultation.