Data from the South Carolina Department of Public Health found that motor vehicle accidents were the second most common cause of injuries resulting in death in the state from 2018 to 2022 alone. In 2022, Dorchester County had 83.1 hospitalizations per 100,000 population caused by car accidents. That’s over 16.4 deaths per 100,000 population caused by vehicle accidents in and around Summerville per day. That’s where a Summerville medical bill lawyer can help.
Car accident victims who suffer serious injuries often face significant medical bills. These life-changing consequences can profoundly impact an individual’s emotional and physical life. Seeking legal advice from an experienced Summerville medical bill attorney can help you understand your rights in personal injury claims. They can also explain your options when filing a personal injury case for pursuing compensation.
Our lawyers are committed to providing effective legal representation to help you handle these challenges. It is important to have a medical bill lawyer in Summervile who will advocate for your best interests, ensuring that your needs are prioritized. Additionally, our compassionate team is dedicated to offering empathetic and supportive representation during these difficult times. If you were injured in a Summerville car accident and need assistance seeking compensation for your medical bills, contact the medical bill attorneys in Summerville from Murphy Crantford Meehan for a free consultation.
After a Summerville car accident, victims can seek compensation for their past and future medical expenses. Past medical expenses include the medical bills clients receive for treatments you’ve already received, and future medical expenses include the medical bills you expect to receive for treatments you have yet to receive.
You need to know the various kinds of medical bills for which you can recover compensation when calculating your medical expenses. Some of the most common types of medical bills include:
You can seek compensation for any medical bills related to emergency medical care, including treatments received in the emergency room after a car accident. This includes stabilization treatments at the accident scene, the ambulance ride to the hospital, and surgeries performed by medical professionals once you reach the hospital. If you have to stay in the hospital overnight, these costs are also generally compensable.
Generally speaking, not all treatments you receive for car accident injuries count as emergency medical care. For example, after your condition is stable, you may still need to see healthcare providers for follow-up appointments and treatments for weeks or months after the accident. Additionally, you may undergo corrective surgery at a later date for personal injury, such as to repair tendons damaged in the crash. You can seek compensation for these medical treatments, but the insurance company you file your claim with may request that you show they are “reasonable and necessary.”
If you need to use crutches, a wheelchair, or other assistive devices after a car accident, you can seek compensation for these medical devices. Sometimes, in personal injury cases, you may only need to use medical devices for a short period while recovering. But if your injuries are permanent, you may rely on these medical devices indefinitely.
If your treating doctor prescribes medications for your injuries, including for your pain and suffering management, you can seek compensation for them. The cost of medication can add up, especially if it’s administered to you at a hospital, so keeping track of these bills is integral for recovering compensation. Understanding the losses related to these prescription costs is essential, as they can significantly impact your financial situation.
Many car accident injuries require physical therapy as part of the rehabilitation and healing process. If you suffered broken or fractured bones or damage to soft tissue like muscles, ligaments, or tendons, you will likely attend at least a few physical therapy sessions. The good news is that you can also seek compensation for these sessions, so you don’t have to pay out-of-pocket.
Contact us now
(843) 376-4030
If your injuries are long-term or permanent, it’s essential that you work with an experienced South Carolina car accident attorney who can accurately estimate your future medical bills. To do this, experienced medical bill attorneys in Summerville will use:
Getting this compensation calculation right is important for your future physical and financial health. An incorrect calculation could mean running out of compensation before your recovery is complete. Therefore, it is important to resolve compensation issues accurately to ensure you have the necessary funds for your ongoing medical needs and to avoid any financial burden. Obtaining fair compensation is a negotiation between you and your insurance company or provider.
Car accident victims looking to recover compensation for their medical bills in South Carolina have four primary options to pursue compensation through: liability insurance claims, uninsured motorist coverage insurance claims, MedPay insurance claims, and personal injury lawsuits. The unique circumstances of the accident and the type of auto insurance policy you have will determine which option is best for you:
Since South Carolina uses a fault-based auto insurance system, you typically file your claim for medical expense compensation with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. Doing this requires showing that the other driver was at fault for the accident that caused your injuries. The mandatory minimum liability coverage for South Carolina motorists includes a maximum compensation $25,000 per person and a maximum compensation $50,000 per accident for bodily injury.
If an uninsured driver strikes you or you are the victim of a hit-and-run, you can seek compensation for your medical bills through an uninsured motorist claim with your own insurance provider. South Carolina mandates drivers have the same minimum amounts of uninsured motorist coverage as liability coverage.
Medical payments coverage, also known as MedPay, is an optional type of no-fault auto insurance available to South Carolina drivers. It works similarly to the personal injury protection (PIP) insurance policies offered in no-fault auto insurance states by providing compensation for the medical expenses of drivers and their passengers regardless of who is at fault for the accident.
The final option is to seek compensation for your medical expenses through a personal injury lawsuit filed against the driver who caused the accident and your injuries. Personal injury claims are important in seeking compensation for various types of accidents and injuries caused by negligence or negligent driver. As with fault-based insurance claims, you and your personal injury lawyers must show that the other party is responsible for the accident and your injuries using various forms of evidence, such as photo, video, or traffic camera footage, eyewitness statements, expert witness testimony, and your medical records. In most cases, personal injury claims and lawsuits are expected to take one to two years before the matter is resolved.
When seeking medical bill compensation after a Summerville, SC, car accident, the insurance company you file your claim with may dispute that the treatment you received or plan to receive is “reasonable or necessary.” If you notice delays in treatment or lack of clear communication from healthcare providers, it may suggest that something is amiss and could indicate that medical negligence occurred. It is important to hold healthcare professionals accountable when healthcare providers fail to uphold the standard of care, as their medical negligence often can lead to serious harm or even death for patients. This is one method insurance companies use to limit the compensation they pay to victims.
An experienced medical bill lawyer in Summerville can help you prove the reasonableness and necessity of many forms your medical treatments by gathering and presenting the following evidence:
If you need help seeking compensation for your medical bills after a car accident, call Murphy Crantford Meehan or contact us online for a free case evaluation with one of our Summerville car accident lawyers. Our law firm can review your case, explain your legal options, and understand the legal process for seeking the compensation you need. With our years of experience, our attorneys can answer your questions about the legal process here.
Below, you’ll find some of the most frequently asked questions by those seeking medical expense compensation after a Summerville car accident:
Yes, you can recover medical expenses if you have used your health insurance to obtain compensation to pay your bills after a car accident. However, that doesn’t mean you will get to “double dip” the medical field and keep the excess compensation. Your health insurance provider will likely seek reimbursement for the compensation it paid you through a process known as subrogation.
If you can’t afford your medical treatment while waiting for a settlement in your wrongful death or car accident case, there are a few legal options you can use to pay your bills:
Before choosing how to cover your medical bills while awaiting your settlement, you should speak to your attorney.
Yes, ambulance and emergency room bills are included in medical expenses after a car accident. Any medical bill you receive related to the injuries you sustained in the crash qualifies for your medical expenses. Some insurance providers may dispute the reasonableness and necessity of the services these bills are for. However, an experienced car accident lawyer can help you to seek justice and the compensation you need to cover them.
Yes, you can still claim medical expenses if you have a pre-existing condition that was worsened by a car accident. The eggshell plaintiff rule, also known as the eggshell skull or thin skin rule, is a common law principle that holds an at-fault party liable for punitive damages for the difference between the injured pain and suffering of party’s pre- and post-injury condition.
For example, if you had an old knee injury that was worsened by the car accident and now requires surgery, the at-fault party would still be liable for the medical bills associated with the surgery. This is because you would not have needed the surgery if the car accident hadn’t worsened your existing knee injury.
Well-Respected
Murphy Crantford Meehan – striving to get justice for Our clients. we believe in a good and honest fight, and we will not stop at anything.
