If you’re ever injured in a car accident, it won’t be long before you’re wondering, “Who is supposed to pay my medical bills? Is it me, or the at-fault driver?” If you file a personal injury claim and agree on a settlement or obtain a verdict at trial, that’s great, but it could take months to reach a conclusion to your case and you can’t go without medical treatment until the other side cuts you a check.
Contrary to popular belief, if you are injured in an accident, you are financially responsible for all of your medical bills as they are incurred. In fact, each treating healthcare provider will ask you to sign paperwork where you are agreeing to be financially responsible for all medical bills incurred.
Even if the at-fault driver blew through a red light and hit the driver’s side of your vehicle at 55 mph and they’re clearly liable for the crash, they are still not responsible for paying for your ongoing medical bills. Instead, at-fault drivers are required to pay you damages to settle your personal injury claim. In car accident cases, medical bills are standardly included in the claim. However, the defendant doesn’t have to pay for each medical bill or prescription as it comes in.
Is South Carolina a No Fault Insurance State?
In the United States, we have no fault insurance states and at-fault states.“South Carolina is a tort liability state, which means the not-at-fault person can pursue a claim against the at-fault party,” according to the South Carolina Department of Insurance.
Because South Carolina is an at-fault state, if you are injured in a car accident, you will be responsible for paying your medical bills that arose from the crash. However, if you have medical payment insurance coverage, otherwise known as “med pay coverage,” the med pay coverage would pay your medical bills up to your med pay policy limits.
Usually, med payments are less than $10,000 and anything above the limit is the responsibility of the insured. If you don’t have med pay coverage, you are responsible for your medical bills whether through health insurance, state insurance, or out of pocket.
Our advice is to have a Columbia, SC personal injury lawyer from our firm put a lien on your file. With a lien, you can continue receiving medical treatment, but you are not obligated to pay your medical bills until your case is settled. Once the case settles, your healthcare providers are paid through the proceeds of your settlement.
Related: Maximizing Your Personal Injury Settlement
To file a personal injury claim, contact us to schedule a consultation!