Who is Responsible for My Medical Bills if My Case is Still Open?

If you or somebody you love sustains an injury caused by the actions of another individual or entity, you will likely be able to recover compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and various other expenses. However, compensation usually comes in the form of a final settlement or jury verdict. So who will cover your medical bills while your case is still open? Here, we want to look at what options individuals have to pay for their medical bills while their case is ongoing in Kentucky.

Medical Bills After the Injury Occurs

Right after an injury occurs, most individuals will have to receive immediate medical assistance. Sometimes this involves letting EMS treat the injury and going to the hospital in an ambulance. In some cases, individuals do not need much additional medical treatment after this emergency care. However, that is not always the case. 

There are times when personal injury victims must undergo significant follow-up medical treatment, whether that includes follow-up doctor visits, physical therapy and rehabilitation, surgeries, medical devices, prescription medications, and more.

This is a problem because medical professionals do not work for free. Bills will start coming in very soon after a person initiates medical care after sustaining an injury.

If a personal injury victim in Kentucky knows that they have an ongoing insurance claim against an at-fault party or that they are going to pursue a personal injury lawsuit in civil court against the other party, this does nothing to help pay current medical bills. 

At first, injury victims may have to pay medical expenses out of their own pocket or through their personal health insurance if they have insurance coverage. However, this can become an expensive proposition, either for the victim or for the personal insurance carrier.

A personal injury victim and their attorney may have to set up an arrangement with the medical professionals treating their injuries. They can talk to doctors and discuss the provider handling additional medical treatment with the understanding that they will receive payment after an eventual insurance settlement or personal injury verdict is handed down. In these situations, a medical provider may place a lien against the individual in these cases. This means that the medical provider will be named as a recipient of part of the final insurance settlement or jury verdict amount.

In the event a personal injury victim’s health insurance paid for any of the medical bills while the case was ongoing, the insurance carrier may go through subrogation, which is the process of seeking repayment for the expenses they already covered out of the final settlement. 

Working With an Attorney

If you or somebody you care about has been injured due to the negligent actions of another individual or entity in Kentucky, then you need to work with an attorney as soon as possible. A skilled Lexington personal injury lawyer will help you make arrangements for your medical bills while your claim is ongoing. An attorney should be the one to speak to your medical professionals, as this will bring more weight to the situation. Not only will your attorney help you with this, but they will also handle every aspect of your claim so that you can have the best chance at recovering maximum compensation for your losses.