If someone else caused the accident in which you were injured, you should not have to pay your medical bills. However, you may struggle to obtain compensation for all of your expenses from the other party’s insurer.
Who Pays Medical Bills in a Car Accident in Ohio?
Ohio is a fault state, meaning that after a car accident or any other kind of personal injury incident, the responsible party has to pay for the other’s medical bills and other damages. The injured party can simply file a personal injury claim through the responsible party’s insurance provider, and then the provider should make a settlement offer.
However, determining the responsible party in a personal injury case can be complicated. For example, in a car accident case, the responsible party may be the driver’s employer rather than the driver. In this case, the injured party must file their claim through the employer’s insurer.
It’s common for injury cases to have multiple responsible parties. Determining who shares responsibility can be complicated, but it’s an important step in getting proper compensation and filing a valid claim. An injury lawyer can help with this process.
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Do I Have to Pay My Own Medical Bills Until the Insurer Pays Them?
Getting a settlement from insurance companies takes time. While you wait for compensation, you will have to cover up-front costs. You could do this in a few different ways:
- Private health insurance. Your provider should cover most of your expenses while you wait for your settlement money; however, you may have to reimburse your insurance with money from the settlement.
- Medicare or Medicaid. If you don’t have private insurance, your federal or state insurance should help you cover medical costs and expenses.
- Negotiation with the hospital. Some hospitals are willing to negotiate payment plans or reductions depending on your circumstances. If they’re willing, you may be able to postpone payment until after you’ve received settlement money.
If the responsible party doesn’t have insurance, pursuing compensation may be a bit more complicated. An injury lawyer could help you file a claim through your own uninsured/underinsured (UM/UIM) policy or navigate other methods to get compensated.
Who Could Be Responsible in My Ohio Personal Injury Case?
Depending on the nature of your case, any of the following parties may be entirely or partially responsible for medical expenses and other damages in an injury case:
- A motorist in a collision
- A vehicle or vehicle parts manufacturer for a faulty automobile
- A truck driver’s employer for pressuring the truck driver to break regulations
- A construction company for unclear signage or dangerous conditions
- A bar that continued to serve someone who was intoxicated
- The local government, if an employee’s actions caused or contributed to an accident
Other parties may be responsible in your case. Our firm can help you identify responsible parties and hold them accountable.
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How Do Ohio Personal Injury Lawyers Prove Liability?
Once one of our lawyers has identified the responsible party or parties in your case, the lawyer will have to prove their liability for your medical bills and other damages. Proving liability is a complicated process. Per Ohio law, to prove liability, your lawyer will have to establish the elements of negligence, which include:
- Duty of care: This is a party’s responsibility to act carefully, such as by driving sober.
- Breach of duty: This is the party’s irresponsible actions, such as driving while intoxicated.
- Causation: This refers to how the party’s actions led to a personal injury incident.
- Damages: These are the losses you’ve accumulated, such as your medical bills.
To establish negligence, your lawyer will collect evidence. In your case, this evidence could be your medical bills, the accident report, traffic camera footage, witness testimonies, or other types of evidence.
As long as you are less than 51 percent responsible for an injury, you can recover compensation according to Ohio Revised Code Section 2315.33.
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What Damages Can I Claim in Addition to My Medical Bills in My Injury Case?
You may have many different types of medical bills. For example, you could have bills for emergency medical attention, hospital care, and physical therapy. You can claim these bills as damages, but you can also claim:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Mental suffering
- Lost wages
- Lost earning potential
- Property-related damages
- Ongoing medical, transportation, or other expenses
The damages you can receive in an injury case include more than can be listed here. One of our firm’s personal injury lawyers in Ohio can identify and list all of your damages for you, which may help to legitimize them to the insurer.
Contact Bressman Law for a Free Case Evaluation and No-Fee Guarantee
If someone else caused your accident, you shouldn’t have to pay your medical bills. However, it can be difficult to determine who is at fault in injury cases. If you are injured and want help putting the pieces together to understand what and who caused your injury, call or fill out our contact form for a free case evaluation.
In addition to a free case evaluation, you can enjoy individualized care and attention from our supportive staff without any upfront costs. With our No-Fee Guarantee, you won’t owe us a dime unless we recover compensation for you. Don’t wait. Contact Bressman Law today to learn more.
Call or text (614) 538-1116 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
