Car Accidents Aren’t Cheap. Here’s What That Looks Like
It’s no secret that car accidents are disruptive. Even the most minor car accidents can utterly derail your week, and that’s compounded significantly if anyone is injured. As car accidents can be incredibly destructive, they can also be incredibly expensive.
How are medical bills paid after a car accident?
This can depend on a variety of factors, including your insurance coverage, the other driver’s insurance coverage and whether or not you’re in a “no-fault” state.
Put simply, this means that the driver who was at-fault in the accident must pay for the damages sustained during it. Payment is typically sourced through the driver’s insurance company via an auto accident insurance claim, up to the policy’s limits.
If you’re injured from an auto accident in Colorado, you have three avenues to getting your medical bills paid:
- You can file a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. They will process your claim and offer you what they deem a fair settlement amount. Having a lawyer working on your behalf during this process can notably increase the amount of compensation ultimately awarded.
- You can file a claim with your own insurance company. If accepted, this claim will compensate you up to your policy limits. It’s worth noting that auto accident victims who hire an attorney see consistently higher payouts when pursuing this route.
- You can go through civil court and file a personal injury lawsuit against the other driver. If successful, they will be expected to cover the damages that you’ve sustained during the car accident. This is a risky tactic, as you’re not guaranteed a payout and you’ll be on the hook for legal expenses regardless. We advise hiring an experienced auto accident attorney before you consider this legal avenue to ensure that you’re pursuing the best possible path to compensation.
Will my insurance costs go up after a car accident?
Insurance companies exist first-and-foremost to generate profit. The rates that they charge to insure vehicles are determined by a series of calculations on how likely they are to pay for repairs or medical expenses. When you’re involved in a car accident, this adjusts the company’s calculations, as many see it as a precedent for future accidents
How much does insurance pay after a car accident?
Insurance from the at-fault driver will be paid out up to the limits on their insurance policy. If the case is ended via settlement–as an overwhelming majority of personal injury cases after auto accidents are–then your payment from insurance will likely be calculated based on what the insurance company deems relevant. It is very likely that insurance companies will put forth an intentionally low settlement amount and pressure victims to settle quickly. This is one reason why it is vital to have an experienced auto accident attorney on your side if you have suffered injuries in a car crash that was not your fault.
How do I pay for physical therapy?
Recovering from auto accident injuries can extend far beyond initial doctor’s visits or hospital stays. Your journey to recovery could include therapy or rehabilitation, both physical and mental. Unfortunately, this can also come with some steep costs.
While the costs of physical therapy should theoretically be factored into any settlement that covers medical expenses, this is not always the case. Insurance companies exist to generate profit, and it’s in their financial interests to settle low. This means that they can often try to minimize the costs of physical therapy, physical rehabilitation, or consoling, potentially leaving you on the hook for the difference.
If you require physical therapy after a car accident, it’s important to have a car accident lawyer on your side in order to ensure that its costs are factored into your settlement amount.
How much does physical therapy cost?
The cost of physical therapy can vary dramatically depending on both your insurance coverage and the therapy required. While visits can be as “low” as $40 per session, it’s not unheard of for them to be as expensive as $200 per session.
These costs pile up quickly, especially if you require multiple sessions per week. During this time, you should be able to focus on healing instead of having to navigate around bills. As noted above, insurance companies can be evasive in actually paying for the full costs of therapy.
Hire McDivitt Law Firm to fight on your behalf in ensuring that any medical bills, time away from work, and pain and suffering stemming from your auto accident are properly covered by your settlement amount. Our affordable Colorado personal injury attorneys have been working with auto accident victims for 40 years, so we know how to hold insurance companies accountable. If you are in a car accident in Denver, Aurora, Colorado Springs, or Pueblo, contact McDivitt Law Firm and we’ll fight for you!
