After you are hurt in a slip and fall accident– get the necessary medical care you need to treat and recover from your injuries. The reality of how you will pay for those medical services will typically set in several weeks or months after the accident. This is when hospitals and doctors’ offices start calling you for payment or threaten to put your accounts into collection.
Moreover, you might not sense the full extent of your injuries right after you experience a slip and fall accident. When you later seek treatment for those injuries, your bills can really begin to accumulate. You might also be unable to work, which further complicates your ability to pay for the medical services you received.
A Los Angeles personal injury attorney at Salamati Law can provide all the help you need to collect the full amount of damages that you are entitled to recover from the negligent party. We will also manage insurance claims and payment demands from medical service providers, while your case is pending.
How are health insurance reimbursements applied in slip and fall accident cases?
If you have private health insurance or qualify for Medi-Cal or Medicare coverage, your health insurer will pay your medical bills– apart from co-pays and deductibles. The insurance company will also seek reimbursement for any payments made– from the negligent party that caused your slip and fall accident– or their liability insurance carrier.
In addition, when you file your lawsuit and recover damages from the negligent party, the insurance company that paid your medical bills will also seek reimbursement. Your slip and fall attorney will negotiate with insurers to resolve all of these issues.
If insurance will cover my medical bills, why should I file a lawsuit?
If you have health insurance coverage, your insurer will pay your medical bills within the limits of your policy. As noted above, you will be obligated to cover deductibles and co-pays, which can amount to several thousand dollars. If you do not have health insurance, you might be liable for the full amount. Further, the damages you might suffer in a California slip and fall accident typically include far more than just medical costs. A Los Angeles slip and fall lawyer will seek to recover damages for your lost wages, rehabilitation costs and expenses, and pain and suffering.
In some cases, the property owner whose negligence caused your accident or their insurers might offer to pay your medical bills apart from a lawsuit. That payment will likely be accompanied by a liability release that prevents you from seeking to collect further compensation. To protect your rights, you should consult with your accident and injury attorney before accepting it.
How are my medical bills paid when my lawsuit is settled or resolved?
Several months can elapse before your slip and fall accident is resolved. While your case is pending, the hospitals and physicians that treated your injuries can file medical liens in California against any settlement funds that you recover in a personal injury lawsuit. Your lawyer will negotiate and manage payments directly with medical centers and doctors to provide fair and accurate reimbursements for all treatment that you received. You will recover the balance of the settlement funds and have no further liability.
Contact our team of Los Angeles slip and fall lawyers
At Salamati Law, during a free consultation, we will review your case. If you retain our services and we accept your case, we will fight for the largest available damages award that you are entitled to receive. We will also negotiate with your doctors and hospitals to manage payment of your medical bills from insurers and settlement funds that you recover. Since we work on a contingency-fee-basis, there are no upfront costs. Contact us today.
