Why You Should Use Your HEALTH Insurance After Being Involved in an Accident

There is a common misconception that after you are involved in a motor vehicle accident, the other person’s car insurance should be billed for your medical expenses. This is not the right course of action and doing it puts your credit, treatment, and ultimate recovery in jeopardy. Instead, you should instruct your medical providers to bill your health insurance and you should notify your car insurance and instruct them not to pay any of your medical bills without your express consent.

In a personal injury action, your primary concern should be obtaining treatment that alleviates your symptoms and cures any injuries you sustained. A close second is ensuring that you are financially secure and fully compensated afterward. Billing your health insurance, as opposed to your car insurance or waiting for the at-fault party’s car insurance to make payments, is typically the best way to ensure that you retain a substantial portion of your personal injury settlement or verdict. While you normally still have to pay your health insurance back at the end of your case, it is typically a discounted rate and can be negotiated down further by your attorney. 

Conversely, waiting for the at-fault party’s insurance to pay your bills can result in providers sending your gross bills to collections, affect your credit, and can make some providers cease treatment before you are fully healed. All of these scenarios add more confusion and stress to an already complicated process. 

The bottom line is that your health insurance is there for a reason and regardless of fault, you should use it to cover your medical expenses. However, and no matter what, you should also retain an attorney to ensure all bills are paid, all discounts are applied, and you are able to walk away with the most money possible after a settlement or verdict. 



If you have been injured in an automobile accident or as a result of someone’s negligence, please contact attorney Nicholas Dollenmaier at 847-705-7555 or via email at ndollenmaier@lavellelaw.com to discuss your case and help get the compensation you deserve.