As a Pedestrian, Who Will Cover My Medical Expenses After an Accident?

Who Pays For Your Medical Bills After Being Hit by a Car in South Carolina, Explained by Our Car Accident Lawyers in Greenville, SC

One of the most devastating types of personal injury accidents is when a pedestrian is hit by a car. That’s why we are taught as young children to always be aware of vehicles when crossing the street. But unfortunately, even a safe pedestrian can be hit by a car. Also known as a pedestrian knockdown, statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provide that over 7,000 fatal hits by car accidents occur in the United States each year. The same statistics reveal over 104,000 emergency room visits for injuries caused to pedestrians hit by a car. Our experienced pedestrian car accident lawyers in Greenville know that many of these injuries are often catastrophic, such as traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations, or broken bones. This often means higher medical bills and expenses for victims and their families.

More locally in South Carolina, the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) compiled statistics showing that South Carolina is the second-most deadly state for pedestrian traffic accidents, behind only Florida regarding fatal accidents per population. Given that South Carolina is an at-fault car insurance state, this leaves some questions for victims and their families about how their medical bills will be paid following an accident. Here at the Hammack Law Firm, our compassionate and skilled legal team can help victims and their families recover compensation for their personal injuries caused by a car accident in South Carolina. We understand that unexpected medical bills can be devastating for a household, and we will fight to protect your rights to compensation under the law.

Common Medical Bills from Being Hit by a Car in South Carolina

After being hit by a car in South Carolina, there are a lot of different types of medical bills that most people may not be aware of until they are injured. Adding insult to injury, many people hit by a car may also miss time from work. As a result, individuals will have unexpected medical bills and a decrease in income at the same time. This is a problem that, unfortunately, some defense attorneys and insurance adjusters will try to leverage against you by offering some money to pay for bills but just not a fair amount for your damages.

In addition, most offers from an insurance company will also fail to fully compensate you for all of the different types of medical bills that you need to pay now or that you may need in the future. This includes the following:

• Ambulance fees
• Emergency department expenses
• In-patient hospital fees or admitted patient fees
• Specialist doctor expenses
• Follow-up appointment costs
• Surgical costs and admission costs
• Anesthesia fees (sometimes not covered under certain insurances)
• Physical therapy costs
• Occupational therapy fees
• Medication payments, including injections like cortisone
• Revisionary surgery costs
• Doctor appointments and evaluations
• Nursing care or rehabilitation center care, and
• Other costs associated with being hit by a car in South Carolina.

Who Pays for These Medical Bills After Being Hit by a Car in South Carolina?

A pedestrian hit by a car in South Carolina has several options for the payment or reimbursement of their medical bills. These payments all focus on insurance. Since South Carolina is a “tort state,” also known as an “at-fault” state, these medical bills are often paid by the person or company at fault or liable for the crash.

Although this sounds simple, it is important to realize that fault is often contested. This is particularly true in personal injury accidents involving a pedestrian knockdown, where medical bills and injuries are often significant. In these cases, the insurance company is often tight with their wallet – forcing victims and their families to front the money for their injuries. That’s just not fair, but it’s what keeps these mega-corporations with profits. It is always why you need to hire an experienced car accident lawyer in Greeneville for help.

Sometimes it will take time to prove to the defense lawyer and their insurance adjuster that the defendant was at fault. When this happens, victims and their families may need to seek other options until the defendant pays their medical bills. While frustrating, defendants and insurers will often be responsible for reimbursing, subrogating, contributing, or simply paying up for what they owe. After all, getting hit by a car is already unfair – having to pay for those injuries is simply unjust.

Options for Medical Bills to be Paid When the Defendant Won’t

When a defendant’s insurance carrier isn’t opening up the coffers, there are other options that victims and their families can turn to to pay medical bills. This includes the following:

• Health Insurance – the primary way to get these medical bills paid will be through a victim’s medical insurance. This may include co-pays or deductibles for procedures and treatment that may be fully covered or not covered at all – depending on the type of injuries and the extent of the damage. Individuals injured after being hit by a car should carefully record their expenses and keep track to seek reimbursement from a defendant. They should also give notice to their insurance company (or ask their car accident lawyer to do it for them) so that the defendant’s insurance company can reimburse them.
• Auto Insurance – besides the defendant’s insurance, a victim of a pedestrian knockdown may also be able to recover compensation from their own auto insurance in certain instances. Although at-fault laws require a victim to go to the at-fault driver first, when there was a hit-and-run driver or where fault is murky, a victim’s insurance carrier may cover medical bills and later seek contribution from the defendant’s adjuster.
• Types of Options Insurance – in addition to health and auto insurance, some types of insurance policies may be used to help cover the costs of medical expenses. These may be a type of independent insurance policy meant for these circumstances, a type of uninsured or underinsured insurance, or other programs that may provide for medical bill payments and reimbursement.
• Medicaid or Medicare – there are instances where public programs may help cover the costs of medical bills and medication costs, including Medicaid or Medicare. Filing a claim with those offices may help individuals seek the compensation they need.

Were You Hit by a Car? Call Our Experienced Car Accident Lawyers in Greenville, SC, for Help

Although insurance should always pay for personal injuries caused by their insured negligence, that does not always happen. This is particularly true when you or a loved one were hit by a car, considering the fact that most pedestrian knockdown accidents result in significant injuries. If you are having trouble getting the at-fault driver’s insurance to pay for your medical bills and other damages, call the Hammack Law Firm for help. Our compassionate and experienced car accident lawyers in Greenville, SC, can help you and your family pursue the compensation you need. To learn more, contact us today by dialing (864) 428-7591 or by contacting us here.