Auto Accident Law Firm St. Paul MN
When a victim is injured in a car accident, one of their first worries is often who will pay the resulting medical expenses. The truth is that there is a myriad of possibilities on how these bills will be paid. The victim, their own health insurance coverage, the victim’s car insurance company, the at-fault driver’s car insurance company, and even the at-fault driver themselves. This process, however, can be a long one. An auto accident law firm in St. Paul, Minnesota can help navigate through this process.
Generally, the victim’s own medical insurance will pay the medical bills first. For example, if a victim goes to an emergency room immediately following the crash, the hospital will ask for their insurance information. Any treatment the victim receives will then be billed to the insurance company.
The victim should also quickly report the accident to their own vehicle insurance company. The next call should be to a car accident lawyer St. Paul MN families trust.
Following the crash, both the victim and the other driver’s insurance companies will investigate the crash to determine who was at fault. In some cases, it is obvious which driver is at fault. For example, if the other driver ran a stop sign and smashed into the victim’s vehicle – which had the right of way – then the other driver is at fault.
In other accidents, the fault of the crash may not be so obvious. There may be other parties who were partially responsible, including the victim. Because of all the variables involved, it is a good idea to contact a St. Paul MN auto accident law firm right away following an accident. An attorney will protect your rights against the insurance companies.
Once it has been determined that the other driver was at fault for the accident, their car insurance company will be responsible for paying all of the victim’s medical bills, up to the policy’s limits. If the medical expenses are more than the policy limits or the at-fault driver did not have insurance, then the victim’s car insurance policy will have to cover the medical bills.
Most states require drivers to carry car insurance to cover what is referred to as bodily injury or death. This only covers injuries to others, such as another driver or passengers in either vehicle. Each state sets their own individual minimum limits, but typically the amount of bodily coverage is around $25,000 per person and $50,000 total per accident. This means that no more than $25,000 can be paid out per victim and not more than $50,000 can be paid out per accident if there were multiple victims.
For example, if a victim’s medical expenses total $75,000, but the at-fault driver only has $25,000/50,000 coverage, then the victim would only receive $25,000 for the medical bills, lost income, and other losses. If the at-fault driver has assets, a St. Paul MN auto accident law firm can file a lawsuit on behalf of the victim to sue the driver for the rest of damages.
If you have been injured in a car accident caused by another driver and have medical bills and other financial losses that need to be covered, contact an auto accident law firm St. Paul MN clients recommend to find out what legal options are available. Call Johnston | Martineau PLLP to meet with one of our car accident attorneys and find out how we can help.
