Getting involved in an accident and sustaining a serious injury can be devastating. Dealing with the trauma and pain can be a nightmare, and the road to recovery can seem unending. You probably want to avoid thinking about the medical expenses and other injury-related bills that will come your way.
Although it's unpleasant to think about this while recovering, you may need to act fast if you want to pay as little as you can out of your pocket. Keep reading to learn more about how to deal with the medical bills after a serious injury.
Contact your Motor Insurance Company
The first thing to do immediately after an accident (if you are still conscious) is to get yourself to the hospital. We know it can be tempting to avoid the hospital if you feel fine on the spot, but accidents can cause internal trauma that you might not be aware of on the spot. You may seem fine outside, but some underlying effects may be happening inside your body.

Not only do you need to visit the hospital to tend to your injuries on the spot, but you also need to look into auto insurance claims like
PIP
(Personal Injury Protection) or MedPay (Medical Payment). These integral claims have a limited time in which you can claim funds; around thirty days in most states. Acting fast would therefore be in your best interest.
In some states like New York, drivers must have a PIP, but MedPay is optional. You can inquire if the state you live in has either option available from your auto insurance agency. If you qualify, you will fill out an application form to gain access to these funds.
โ What are PIP and MedPay
PIP is more elaborate than MedPay. PIP covers hospital bills and other provisions up to a point. Other provisions will include expenses like lost wages and childcare that happened because of the accident. MedPay, on the other hand, covers only the hospital bills to an extent.
The amount paid by the motor insurance company depends on the health insurance you carry, either private or government. Private insurance will mean PIP and MedPay will pay less while a government type pays more. If you have both PIP and MedPay, then PIP will pay you first before your MedPay.
Contact your Health Insurance
When you suffer from a serious accident, your auto insurance fund can quickly run out. To avoid being directly charged with any hospital bills that would risk damaging your credit score, you need to contact your insurance company. The insurance company will not pay until you have exhausted your limit of the PIP or the MedPay.
Medical expenses can quickly add up. In states like New York, specialized care can become expensive because of the cost of equipment. Patients assume that treatment costs vary, however, polls show that
brain injury treatment costs in New York
are significantly high compared to other types of treatment. One reason is because of the treatment’s nature. It involves several stages and can take months to get the person to their MMI stage. All this means that the person will still incur bills until medically fit to pursue the case.
If someone else caused the injury in an accident, your health insurance expects you to pay them back after you make your claim against the other person's auto insurance company and win. This process can be tricky and lengthy, so it’s best to aim to end the case as fast as you can. Unfortunately, you can't file any claim until you fully recover or the doctor grants you an MMI (Maximum Medical Improvement) status.
Contact Your Lawyers
Once you recover and can make your claim, it's time to call in the experts. The other party's auto insurance company is looking to pay as little as they can to you. Most people are desperate to take the money early, so they usually take a significantly lower amount. It is wise to get your lawyer involved because they know how to deal with the claims.

Most people are sinking in debts by this stage and have no money to hire a lawyer. The good news is
some lawyers
, called contingency lawyers, will work first then take a percentage of the compensation package as the payment when they win the case. This kind of arrangement may be ideal for you if you find yourself cash-strapped.
If You Have No Insurance
There are cases where you do not have private insurance and don't qualify for the government program. Work with your medical provider to put you on a payment plan, given that you have the resources to meet the payment. A lawyer should also be able to help you in this kind of situation.
It's painful to recover from a severe accident. Therefore, it is best to act fast, if not by yourself, through friends or family members. Doing this ensures you won't miss the opportunity to get funds for your medical bills. It’s better to check with your state as there are minor differences in some laws, or better still, consult with a lawyer.