Do I Still Have a Personal Injury Claim if the Insurance Company Paid My Bills?

Lake County Personal Injury Lawyers Answer Questions About Claims and Insurance Payments

One of the questions we are often asked by potential clients is whether or not they have a personal injury case if their insurance company has paid their medical bills. The answer is yes, as long as they did not sign a release of liability. A release absolves the responsible party from any obligation to pay you for damages incurred due to the accident. An insurance company may ask you to sign such a release before making any payments to you.

After you are in an accident, you may receive money from your insurance, or from the insurance company of the negligent driver. This typically happens because your insurance includes “med pay,” meaning you have medical payment insurance coverage. If your insurance company offers this, then they will pay the medical bills that you have acquired due to an accident that is covered by their policies. Once your health insurance has covered their portion, it is best to take advantage of your med pay coverage for bills you would have to pay out of your own pocket.

As an example, if you are involved in an accident and your health insurance pays for 80% of the cost of your time in the emergency room, this will leave you to pay 20% of the bill out of your own pocket. However, even if the entire cost of your visit is covered by medical pay coverage, other bills that you need coverage for in the future may result in a personal cost to you. This is because the coverage through medical pay is always limited, and the amount of this limit varies based on your insurance policy. Typical coverage is $5,000.00.

Contact Our Lake County Personal Injury Law Firm

If you are interested in continuing the conversation about whether or not you still have a personal injury case, even though an insurance company has paid your medical bills, contact the lawyers at Salvi & Maher, LLP for a free, no-obligation consultation at 847-662-3303. We have offices in Libertyville, Waukegan, Chicago, and Richmond, IL, and serve clients in Lake, DuPage, and Will County.