How Do I Get Medical Expenses Covered In a Personal Injury Claim?
If you have been injured and are filing a personal injury claim, a part of what you will include in your claim is your own medical expenses. This will be a portion of the total claim, which will also include lost wages, pain and suffering, property damages, and any other damages which may have resulted from your accident and injury. As soon as you decide that you will be filing a claim, it is highly recommended that you get in touch with a Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyer immediately. They will sit with you at an initial consultation and work to understand all aspects of your injury, your associated expenses, and everything that you can realistically include in your claim. Read more below about medical expenses and how they are considered in a personal injury lawsuit:
What Is a Medical Expense?
Simply put, a medical expense is any cost associated with an injury, disease, sickness, and recovery afterward. In terms of a personal injury, your medical expenses can include (but is certainly not limited to) any of the following:
Insurance Premiums
An insurance premium is an amount that you pay for the company to carry your policy, either monthly, quarterly, or yearly.
Doctor or Hospital Visits
Any money that you pay for a visit to a doctor or hospital will be considered a medical expense
Out-Of-Pocket Expenses
This could include an insurance deductible (the amount you must pay before your insurance begins to cover your expenses), a co-pay (the amount you must pay at the time of a visit), or co-insurance (the percentage amount you pay for your medical bills after you have paid your deductible).
Prescriptions
Any amount that you pay to have a prescription filled is considered a medical expense, and you should share all proof of these payments with your personal injury attorney.
Crutches or Wheelchairs
If you need to use any type of mobility assistance following your injury, the payments for these devices will be included as medical expenses.
Physical Therapy Expenses
Following your injury, you may require physical therapy for a full recovery. Your insurance may or may not cover these sessions, but regardless the cost is a medical expense.
Will I Get Back All Of My Medical Expenses?
Determining how much you will get back of your medical expenses will be something that you and your attorney can go over fairly early in the process of working together. You will need to factor in any amount that your insurance policy covered (they will get that money back first), then the remaining amount that you are awarded will be divided between you and your attorney depending on the payment model you have agreed to. Your insurance company will likely file a lien against your lawsuit.
Insurance Liens Against Lawsuits
When your insurance company has paid any of your medical expenses, they will likely place a lien on the lawsuit, which requires that they are repaid before any additional damages are disbursed.
How Much Will I Get Back After My Lawsuit?
Remember with many personal injury lawsuits, you will also include non-economic damages such as pain and suffering, which will increase the amount that you may ultimately be awarded at the end of your lawsuit. This is a great question to ask an attorney during an initial consultation, so that you can discuss likely outcomes, how you will pay your attorney, and what to expect you will be able to take home following a successful suit.
