Who Will Pay Your Medical Bills Following a Motorcycle Accident?
There are a few different potential sources for paying your medical bills when you have been injured in a motorcycle accident. The following are some of the potential sources that you might be able to draw upon to pay your motorcycle crash-related medical expenses:
- Your personal injury protection (PIP) insurance
- Your private medical insurance
- Medicaid or Medicare
- The at-fault driver’s auto insurance
We’ll take a look at each of these potential recovery sources to pay your medical bills.
Your PIP Insurance Coverage
As a no-fault state for traffic accidents, Massachusetts requires all drivers to carry PIP coverage as a part of their auto insurance policies. Regardless of who was at fault in your motorcycle accident, you will first need to file a claim with your auto insurer. Your PIP coverage will pay up to $8,000 for your medical bills without any copays. This will be the first source to use to pay for your injuries.
Your Private Medical Insurance
If you have a private medical insurance policy or have health insurance through your job, you can use it to cover a portion of your crash-related medical bills. You will need to pay any deductibles or copays required by your policy. You will want to use your private medical insurance to cover your bills once your PIP benefits have been exhausted. You will have out-of-pocket expenses from your deductibles and copays.
If you don’t have private medical insurance or employer-provided healthcare coverage, you will either need to pay the costs out-of-pocket or use your Medicaid or Medicare coverage.
Your Medicaid or Medicare Coverage
If you have Medicaid or Medicare, your government health benefits should cover the costs of your accident-related medical bills to treat your injuries. Like private health insurance, you can use your Medicaid or Medicare benefits to pay for your expenses once your PIP benefits have been exhausted. If you have traditional Medicare, you will be responsible for paying the deductibles for Parts A and B out-of-pocket. Medicaid should fully cover the costs of your treatment.
Medical Liens and Insurance
Whether you have private insurance, employer-provided insurance, Medicaid, or Medicare, the parties that pay for your medical treatment will have the right to place medical liens against any settlement you might receive for your motorcycle crash claim. If you reach a settlement agreement, the insurance company or the government will be reimbursed out of your settlement amount before the proceeds are distributed to you. When a medical lien is filed, your attorney will carefully review it to make sure that it was filed correctly and does not include overcharges. If anything appears to be inaccurate, your lawyer can challenge the lien.
The At-Fault Driver’s Insurance
Even though Massachusetts is a no-fault state for motorcycle accidents, you can step outside of the state’s no-fault system and file a lawsuit against the at-fault driver when your medical bills total more than $2,000. Your past and future medical bills will be a major component of the total damages that might be available to you. In addition, any settlement should also include compensation for your wage losses, property damage, physical pain and suffering, disability, lost enjoyment of life, emotional distress, and other losses.
While the at-fault driver’s insurance might ultimately be responsible for paying your medical bills, it’s important to understand that the claims process can take months. In the meantime, you should make sure to attend all of your medical appointments to facilitate your recovery.
Talk to Ellis & Associates
If you suffered serious injuries in a motorcycle crash, you should talk to the attorneys at Ellis & Associates about how to pay for your medical bills and other losses caused by your accident. Call us for a free case evaluation today at 800-MR-ELLIS or send us a message online.