When you have suffered an injury in an accident or as the direct result of another person’s negligent or reckless behavior, getting the proper medical care you need to recover is imperative. Without timely, responsive treatment, your injuries have the potential to cause long term damage and could impact and impair your general overall health. While getting the care you need for your injuries should be a top priority, many personal injury sufferers neglect getting the proper care due to concerns regarding how they will pay for treatment. If you are dealing with the physical impacts of a personal injury , knowing how to handle medical expenses and doctor bills can help you to go ahead and get the care your injuries require.
Recovering Medical Expenses in Personal Injury Cases
Jump Ahead To
In today’s busy world, there are any number of ways in which you could find yourself the victim of a personal injury. These types of injuries often leave victims with a mountain of medical bills to deal with. Different types of personal injury cases for which you may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses include:
- Car, truck, or motorcycle accidents;
- Bicycling and pedestrian accidents;
- Accidents involving sports and recreation activities;
- Medical malpractice cases;
- Strict liability cases, in which manufacturers can be held responsible for defective products;
- Premises liability, where you are injured on someone’s property; and
- Cases involving intentional wrongs, in which someone assaulted you or otherwise caused you physical harm.
Paying for Medical Expenses
Under Title 15 of the South Carolina Code of Laws , victims in the above types of cases are entitled to recover damages for their injuries, even if the injured party contributed in some way to the accident. Typical medical expenses in personal injury cases include:
- Emergency room visits;
- Hospital bills;
- Bills for x-rays and diagnostic tests;
- Ongoing doctor visits;
- Prescription medications;
- Physical rehabilitation; and
- Medical devices, such as wheelchairs.
While filing a personal injury lawsuit can enable you to receive compensation for your medical expenses, you would not receive this compensation until a judgment was handed down in your case. This can involve waiting a period of time in order to accurately gauge the nature of your injuries and the potential time it will take to eventually recover from them. In the meantime, medical debt can pile up, having an adverse effect on your credit rating. Your attorney can assist you in finding ways to deal with these expenses, such as filing claims through your insurance policy, which is different than settling with an insurance company – something that would not be in your best interests. If you are uninsured or have large copayments, your attorney can send your medical creditors a letter of protection , informing them that you are involved in a personal injury claim, and that the creditor will receive payment once you receive a judgment in your case.
A Skilled Attorney Can Help You
If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident or suffered an injury as the result of someone’s negligent behavior, contact an experienced South Carolina personal injury attorney right away. At the office of Lauren Taylor, we understand how difficult it can be dealing with mounting medical debt while trying to recover from your injuries. We will fight to get you the maximum amount of damages allowed by law, while helping you discover ways to deal with your current financial situation. Don’t delay. Serving all of Upstate South Carolina, our dedicated, efficient staff will help you to get the compensation you deserve.
South Carolina divorce attorney Lauren Taylor practices family law in Charleston and Greenville. She graduated from the Charlotte School of Law, and has been practicing for more than ten years.
Since the firm’s inception in 2012, Mrs. Taylor has helped hundreds of people navigate the uncertainties surrounding the family and criminal court process.
She has cultivated a team that ensures each case has a strategy crafted specifically to the clients needs and desires.
Her commitment to top notch service has led her to open two additional offices in the low country where she now resides with her husband Michael and her golden retriever, Buster.