If you are facing expensive medical bills after a car accident in Illinois, it is important to know what options you have available. Unfortunately, going into medical debt after a serious accident is a very real concern in many cases, and this is an outcome that you should seek to avoid if at all possible.
So, who (or what company) is responsible for your medical bills after a car accident?
While the answer to this question depends on the specific circumstances of your case, there are a variety of potential options. When you hire a lawyer to help you seek just compensation for your car accident, your lawyer will be able to evaluate all of these options and help you choose the best path forward.
Recognizing that your legal rights will depend on the facts of your case, generally speaking, the options that are available for recovering your medical expenses after a car accident in Illinois include:
If you have health insurance, you can use your health insurance after a car accident in Illinois. While you will have to pay your copay, deductible and any coinsurance you owe, your health insurance company should provide coverage in accordance with the terms of your policy.
In the event that you recover your medical expenses from another source (keep reading to learn more), your health insurance company may be entitled to repayment, or subrogation. But, if you have health insurance, you can rely on it for now, and your car accident lawyer can deal with any subrogation issues on your behalf as necessary.
If the other driver was at fault in your car accident, the other driver’s auto insurance company may be responsible for covering your medical bills after a car accident and other losses. Under Illinois law, all drivers are required to carry liability insurance coverage ($25,000 per person/$50,000 per accident), and many drivers opt to carry coverage above the minimum required amount.
Filing a claim with the other driver’s auto insurance company requires proof that the other driver was at fault in your car accident. Proving fault in a car accident requires a prompt and thorough investigation—and this makes it important to hire an experienced Chicago car accident lawyer as soon as possible.
If you are facing medical bills after a car accident in Illinois, filing a claim with your auto insurance company may be an option as well. If you have liability insurance (as required by law), then you should also have uninsured motorist coverage. As its name suggests, uninsured motorist insurance protects you in the event that you get hit by a driver who doesn’t have liability insurance (despite liability insurance being required under Illinois law).
Medical payments (MedPay) is an optional form of auto insurance in Illinois that helps cover accident victims’ medical bills after a car accident, regardless of who is to blame for their injuries. If you have MedPay, your lawyer will be able to assist with seeking coverage under this portion of your policy as well.
While many car accidents result from driver negligence, car accidents can also have a variety of other causes. For example, vehicle defects and road defects can—and do—cause car accidents as well.
If a non-driver-related factor caused (or contributed to causing) your car accident, you may have a claim against a third party’s insurance company. Vehicle manufacturers, dealerships, road construction companies, and various other parties can all be held liable for car accidents in appropriate cases. Additionally, if the driver who hit you was working at the time of the collision, you may have grounds to sue the driver’s employer or rideshare company.
The Illinois Crime Victims Compensation Program pays up to $45,000 for medical expenses and other costs resulting from eligible crimes. These crimes include driving under the influence (DUI) and hit-and-run collisions involving cyclists and pedestrians. While filing a claim under the Illinois Crime Victims Compensation Program isn’t an option in all cases, if it is an option in your case, this could serve as an important source of financial recovery.
If you need to know more about recovering compensation for your medical bills after a car accident in Illinois, we encourage you to contact the Chicago car accident lawyers at Coplan + Crane. We understand the hardships you may be facing and we are committed to pursuing the maximum compensation to which you may be entitled under the law.
Contact Coplan + Crane today online or at (312) 982-0588 for a FREE case evaluation. We serve clients throughout Illinois, including Chicago, Oak Park, Rockford, and other areas.
