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Following a preventable car accident, many victims and families have a great number of concerns. These include concerns regarding not only the injuries they have sustained and how they may impact their future, but also whether they’ll be able to work and continue earning wages while they recover. That’s because the costs of medical treatment – from initial visits and diagnostic testing to treatment plans, surgery, and more – can quickly pile up and create financial strains that make difficult times even tougher.
Because financial burdens can exacerbate problems after a car accident, it becomes important for victims to understand that they have rights when it comes to paying for their medical bills. That’s because a successful personal injury claim can allow victims to recover a range of damages caused by another’s negligent or wrongful acts. These include damages for their pain and suffering, lost income, and various emotional injuries caused by the wreck – as well as the costs of medical treatment, which are often among the greatest expenses victims incur after wrecks.
Because we know preventable injuries can create profound financial burdens, our St. Louis personal injury lawyers want to explain how liability and damages work in personal injury cases, as well as the steps we take to ease our clients’ burdens.
- Liability – Personal injury claims and lawsuits are centered on proving fault and liability. In auto accidents, this means proving a defendant (whether that be a negligent driver, a careless trucker, or a commercial trucking or transportation company that violated safety laws) more likely than not caused accidents and injuries as a result of their negligence. When this is achieved, those at-fault parties can be held liable for the costs of medical bills victims incurred, such as any emergency treatment they received at the scene of a crash or a local hospital, diagnostic testing to determine their injuries, surgery, medications, treatment, and therapy, among other medical costs. These damages may be awarded as part of an out-of-court settlement with the defendant and their insurance provider, or as a result of a trial verdict after litigation. Our firm leverages more than 100 years of combined experience to effectively negotiate for the full amount of our clients’ medical damages in settlement agreements, and we are not afraid to litigate for fair recoveries when defendants don’t offer the compensation clients need.
- Getting the treatment you need – In any personal injury cases, it is important that victims obtain the treatment they need to get themselves back to a condition of health similar to that before their accident, or as close to that condition as possible. This is important in ensuring that not only the full costs of their medical damages will be accounted for, but also that no new issues or complications arise for which another party would be held liable. If a victim settles too soon or doesn’t get all the treatment they need, for example, and experiences problems connected to the underlying issues later on, they may be on the hook for paying those medical bills themselves if they weren’t included in the settlement. That’s why it is important to get all the treatment you need and to avoid early low-ball settlement offers from insurance companies. Even if you have concerns about paying for such treatment, our firm can help to ensure you get the care you need.
- Future medical bills – In some cases, especially those involving serious or catastrophic injuries, victims are not able to fully recover prior to filing a claim or lawsuit, or have injuries and issues that will persist for months, years, or even the rest of their lives. In these cases, victims also have a right to recover damages for any future medical needs and expenses they are likely to have in connection their preventable injuries. This includes the costs of future doctor appointments, therapy and rehabilitation, future surgeries or needed medications, medical devices, assistive care, and more. At-fault parties can be held liable for future damages just as they can past medical bills, and calculating those future damages often requires meticulous evaluations and collaboration with medical experts.
- How we help ease financial burdens – In the wake of an accident, it is not always easy for victims to pay for the medical treatment they need. That’s why our firm leverages extensive resources and professional connections to connect our clients’ with various medical professionals who can provide care and treatment on a lien basis. This means victims won’t need to bear the burdens of medical bills up front, and that those expenses can be covered by a settlement or verdict in which the at-fault party is held liable. Covering these costs is not something every personal injury lawyer can do, and it is something we believe is important when representing our clients.
Over the years, our legal team at Meyerkord & Kurth has recovered more than $400 million in compensation for our clients, including millions of dollars in damages awarded for past and future medical expenses. We know how to illustrate the full scope of our clients’ losses, as well as why defendants should be held liable for those damages. If you have questions about paying for your medical bills after any type of preventable auto wreck, contact us for a free case review!