When you’re hurt in any type of motor vehicle accident or another type of incident, you need to get immediate medical treatment. In those crucial moments, nothing is more important than treating your injuries. Your life may very well depend on it.
You may need to be transported to the hospital via ambulance for emergency surgery or other treatments. These all come at a cost, which you will need to contend with once the dust settles.
Even if you have health insurance, you’re still going to be stuck with hefty medical bills. It’s not fair for you to wind up in financial ruin when your injuries were caused by someone else’s negligent mistakes.
Fortunately, there are legal consequences for those who don’t properly uphold their duty of care in these situations. The person responsible for the accident that caused your injuries should cover all of your medical bills and may need to cover your other damages as well.
What Compensation Is Available for Medical Bills from Personal Injuries?
If another person caused your car accident, ignored a hazard at the supermarket that caused you to get hurt, or acted negligently in any other way that caused you harm, they will need to pay your medical expenses. These include the medical expenses from the moment you were injured up to when the case settles or goes to trial, though you can also pursue compensation for future medical expenses.
Compensation should not only cover your physical injuries but also your emotional damages. These things can additionally include transportation to and from your medical appointments and any adaptive medical devices that you may need during this time.
How the Law Can Help You Recover Medical Expenses in a Personal Injury Case
In most cases, the insurance company of the at-fault party will pay for the damages. You may directly negotiate with the insurer, though without knowledge of the law, you may not realize the settlement offer is too low. This is why many Illinois injury victims seek legal representation to ensure they’re getting a fair amount.
With or without an attorney, though, you will need to show your medical records and bills. If you require ongoing treatment, you will most certainly want an attorney to bring in an expert witness to testify on the expected future bills and costs of your treatments.
Unfortunately, it can be exhausting for injury victims to negotiate when they are still in pain. An attorney can help calculate the total of your damages and work to get your compensation while you heal. If any complications arise in your case, like the insurance company refusing to pay or the other party blaming you for your injuries, you will not want to proceed without legal representation.
The laws in this state follow modified comparative negligence, which means that even as the victim, you could wind up bearing the burden of responsibility. An attorney will be prepared to fight for your legal rights whether through negotiations or by taking it all the way to trial.