Some people might be surprised to learn their standard health insurance might not cover car accident bills for medical treatment. Standard health insurance includes group health insurance a person might have through work and private individual health insurance policies they might buy separately.
Standard health insurance often excludes coverage of injuries suffered in motor vehicle collisions. Still, other types of insurance and financial resources could help pay your medical bills if you suffer injuries in a car accident.
Everyone who drives a motor vehicle in our state must carry liability insurance to pay for injuries, death, and property damage the driver causes. According to the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner, the minimum coverage is:
With the current cost of motor vehicles, property damage could greatly exceed $10,000. Also, $25,000 for medical bills, lost income, death, and other losses a person could suffer in a car crash could be grossly inadequate, not to mention a total of $50,000 if more than one person suffers injuries or dies in a collision.
If you can prove another driver caused the car accident, you can make a claim against their automobile liability insurance policy for your injuries and other losses. Another option is to sue the at-fault driver. Often, these cases start as insurance claims but end up as lawsuits if parties do not settle them.
“Very knowledgeable and trustworthy. Zach Herschensohn provided me with excellent service. He kept me well informed and explained complicated issues in a way I could understand. He took the lead and guided me through everything necessary to achieve a successful outcome. Overall, I am very pleased with his service and would highly recommend him to anyone.”
“Very knowledgeable and trustworthy. Zach Herschensohn provided me with excellent service. He kept me well informed and explained complicated issues in a way I could understand. He took the lead and guided me through everything necessary to achieve a successful outcome. Overall, I am very pleased with his service and would highly recommend him to anyone.”
“Very knowledgeable and trustworthy. Zach Herschensohn provided me with excellent service. He kept me well informed and explained complicated issues in a way I could understand. He took the lead and guided me through everything necessary to achieve a successful outcome. Overall, I am very pleased with his service and would highly recommend him to anyone.”
“Very knowledgeable and trustworthy. Zach Herschensohn provided me with excellent service. He kept me well informed and explained complicated issues in a way I could understand. He took the lead and guided me through everything necessary to achieve a successful outcome. Overall, I am very pleased with his service and would highly recommend him to anyone.”
“Very knowledgeable and trustworthy. Zach Herschensohn provided me with excellent service. He kept me well informed and explained complicated issues in a way I could understand. He took the lead and guided me through everything necessary to achieve a successful outcome. Overall, I am very pleased with his service and would highly recommend him to anyone.”
Unfortunately, not everyone follows the state law that requires automobile liability insurance. What happens if you get hurt in a collision that an uninsured driver caused? They do not get to escape legal liability for your losses just because they do not have insurance.
You can get a court judgment that awards you a specific dollar amount from the defendant and then proceed to collect the judgment from their personal assets or garnish their wages until they pay the judgment.
If you have uninsured motorist coverage on your automobile insurance policy, that coverage could help pay some of your losses. This strategy could get your medical bills paid faster than going to court against the defendant and collecting the judgment in small pieces over many years. Still, not all automobile policies in Washington State include uninsured motorist coverage.
If you suffered significant injuries, the at-fault driver’s coverage might fall short of paying your losses. In that situation, some people turn to their underinsured motorist coverage to pay the remainder of their losses. Not all auto policies in the state automatically include underinsured motorist coverage. Per the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner, motorists without underinsured coverage must use other coverage they have, such as collision coverage or personal injury protection (PIP) coverage.
The state’s Insurance Commissioner explains that, in some circumstances, personal injury protection (PIP) coverage could help pay some medical bills, lost wages, loss of services, and funeral expenses. Your auto policy might not include PIP coverage. Your insurance company must offer PIP coverage, and if you decide against adding PIP to the mandatory coverage, you must submit your rejection in writing.
Drivers legally must pay for the hurt and the damage they cause in motor vehicle accidents. If they do not have automobile liability insurance, they are still responsible for the losses they cause.
If a driver causes a collision that results in monetary damages that exceed the amount of their liability coverage, the at-fault driver is still liable for the full amount of the losses, including the amounts their insurance does not cover. Here are a few options a person might have if the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured, in addition to the injured person’s insurance coverage:
Authorities can seize the defendant’s personal assets to satisfy a court award. These assets could include bank accounts, investments, vehicles, boats, planes, and other items. The plaintiff could file a wage garnishment that takes a percentage of the defendant’s earnings monthly until the defendant satisfies the judgment.
People with homeowner’s insurance sometimes buy additional liability insurance coverage as an optional “umbrella” liability rider. Umbrella liability insurance can pay liability claims against the homeowner from various causes, like premises liability and sometimes car accidents.
Some umbrella policies specifically exclude certain types of liability claims. You must read the language of your insurance policy carefully to determine if it could pay medical bills or other losses from a car accident that a covered individual caused.
If the defendant was working when the car accident occurred, their employer might have some liability for the plaintiff’s losses. This valuable source of possible financial resources is sometimes overlooked.
No matter which strategy you pursue in pursuing compensation for your personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit, you should not wait too long to take legal action. Every state limits the time a person has to file their lawsuit. Washington State is no exception.
Under RCW § 4.16.080, plaintiffs must file a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit within three years. After the filing deadline passes, Washington law can forever bar you from holding the at-fault party accountable for their actions and your losses.
Herschensohn Law can talk to you about your car accident case. We can review your legal options and other alternatives if health insurance does not cover your car accident bills and other related losses. Call us today at (206) 588-4344 for your free initial consultation with no obligation. Our attorneys are ready to help.
After a worker was electrocuted on a construction site and suffered life-changing injuries, we fought and won on their behalf.
When a retired man was killed in a truck accident, we made sure his grieving family got fair compensation.
When a defective medical device harmed our client, we fought to ensure they had the financial compensation needed to recover.
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When you request your free consultation, Kent personal injury attorney Zach Herschensohn will listen to you, answer your questions, lay out your legal options, and give you down-to-earth legal advice.
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