Can I Be Reimbursed For Out Of Pocket Expenses For An Injury?
Being involved in an accident causes more than just personal injuries. The cost of medical care and treatment can be high, but is usually not the first thing on your mind when an accident happens. The first order of business when you get hurt is to get to the hospital or doctor. Typical protocol is to provide your health insurance information when being admitted. This might mean you are required to pay a portion of the expenses from your own pocket, by way of a co-pay for use of your own health insurance coverage. If that happens, you might be wondering how you will be repaid for these expenses. An experienced personal injury attorney can help, by developing the facts of your case and pursuing all the remedies available to you.
When an accident happens it is critical to keep track of all the expenses associated with your recovery. This means you need to obtain copies of your medical records and invoices, and give them to your attorney for organization. Calculating your out of pocket expenses is the first step in determining a fair reimbursement, and also helps when figuring out what amount of any settlement or award is due your own health insurance carrier. The concept is referred to as subrogation, and it works like this:
● When you receive payment for your claim, whether you settle your case or receive an award from the Court, the monies already paid on your behalf are paid back to the party that made payment. This includes repayment to your health insurance company for any payments they’ve made to doctors or hospitals for your treatment.
● What’s left is then split between you and the healthcare providers that have not yet received payment for their services.
Careful negotiation with doctors and other providers can help to maximize your portion of the recovery amount. And, once a figure is decided upon, this is also the time you are paid back for any expenses you covered. It sounds confusing, but doesn’t have to be difficult. A trained personal injury attorney knows how to properly apportion settlement funds, and make sure you understand the split. It is important to get your health care providers paid to their satisfaction, so any lien they have on your settlement funds is released and you do not remain personally liable long after your case is final.
If you have questions about how to be repaid for out of pocket expenses from personal injury cases, attorney Robert Greening has the answers. Call a Dallas, Texas personal injury attorney today.