How can I as a passenger pursue compensation if I was injured in a car accident?
There are several legal options available to injured car accident victims. For example, you may be able to pursue a third-party insurance claim against the at-fault driver’s liability insurance, even if it’s the driver of the car you were in when you were injured.
You may also be able to pursue claims against the insurance of the owner of one or more of the vehicles involved. Make sure to contact a lawyer if you wish to pursue litigation; there are exceptions and special cases for many insurance policies.
Can I make multiple claims if I was injured in a car accident?
Multi-vehicle accidents and their effects are a common sight on busy streets. Traffic backs up, debris litters the road, and emergency responders move in quickly for transportation and cleanup. Because of the many factors and parties involved, multi-car accidents are notoriously more deadly than crashes involving only two cars.
If more than one person was at fault for the car accident that injured you, you can make claims against those parties or insurance policies. First, contact your insurance company. Then go through your own insurance policy to understand the possible limits of filing a claim.
If you live in a no-fault insurance state, review your MedPay or personal injury protection (PIP) policy. If you don’t live in a no-fault state or if your medical costs are no higher than your no-fault coverage, then you can file a personal injury claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company.
If you have been injured in a multi-car accident, contact an attorney to fully understand your options. Insurance companies are businesses and will not always help you fulfill your needs.
How can I get compensation through health insurance to help pay for treatment of my injuries?
Receiving compensation from a liability insurance policy can take more time than you expect. While you wait for the claim to go through or be denied, you may require urgent medical assistance and need to pay the bills associated with treatment. Here are two ways you can pay for your medical treatment with insurance:
Health insurance claims
You can use your own health insurance to pay for medical treatment. If you are an injured passenger, you would need to pay the deductible and any required co-payments, as well as costs for charges that the policy does not cover.
MedPay coverage
Your own car insurance policy may include coverage for medical payments, regardless of who was at fault in an accident. The payments included under MedPay tend to be issued much faster than those under liability coverage.
However, MedPay only covers medical bills. It does not cover other costs such as pain and suffering or lost wages. Furthermore, it may not be enough to cover all of your medical costs if the accident was severe.
You can pursue compensation through both a MedPay claim and a third-party liability insurance policy of the driver or vehicle owner. However, you cannot receive a double recovery through MedPay and liability insurance. The compensation you receive through MedPay for your medical bills will be subtracted from the medical compensation awarded through liability insurance.