Your First Step.
Who pays my medical expenses in an auto accident claim? Your medical bills should first be submitted to your own auto insurance company for payment under the personal injury protection coverage or medical payments coverage. In Kansas, your personal injury protection coverage is included in all auto accident insurance policies. This coverage is also referred to as PIP coverage, with the PIP standing for the initials of the type of coverage, personal injury protection coverage. Your own insurance company will be reimbursed later. Other states like Missouri have medical pay provisions in the policy, and the company will not be reimbursed.
What then?
After your own insurance company has exhausted its coverage, you will want to submit your bills to your health insurance company. A true health insurance policy in Kansas generally does not get reimbursed later, but other types of insurance coverage such as ERISA plans, Medicare or Medicaid will.
What about a settlement?
After your claim is ready for settlement, the liability insurance company will pay. The liability insurance company is the insurance company for the driver at fault. This company will have to pay more than just medical bills, often a lot more to compensate you for your injuries, pain and suffering and future problems.
What if there is not enough insurance?
If the liability insurance company has low limits and not enough insurance to pay your claim you may have additional options. You may have what is called an underinsured motorist claim. Also workers comp, global policies or other types of insurance may come into play. If the other drive was on the job his employer’s policy made pay.
Be Careful.
This can be complicated. For example, if you settle your liability claim before giving proper notice to the underinsured motorist company, you may waive your underinsured motorist claim. Also if the driver that is at fault does not have insurance, you probably have an uninsured motorist claim against your own insurance company for your injury. Click here for more details about under or uninsured motorist coverage.