auto accident?

Question

on the 14th I was rearended and was seen in the ER nothing broken, Then followed up w/ a private Dr. who wants me to have a MRI the cost in nearly 2000.00. Problem is I dont have 2000.00 and the insurance of the person who hit me isnt willing to pay for it up front. They ofcorse want me to settle and then I can use the money how I want... But I would be a damn fool not to have had the MRI first and find out if I have any nerve damage etc. I phoned an attorney and because its not MAJOR medical problem like a coma I guess, They arent willing to basically do anything for me. So I guess my question is what are other options? The hospital here doesnt accept 3rd party billing either. I have never been in a wreck before so I dont know what to do.

I guess I should of mentioned I only HAD notice had liability insurance I did infact add UM to my policy on last monday. Nor Do I have medical.

Answer 1

I used to be an insurance adjustor. This is what I would do. THIS IS PERSONAL, NOT LEGAL ADVICE

1. You CAN find a doctor who will do the MRI for an at fault accident without billing you up front. Most doctors know that they are going to get the money once the claim settles. The key is that there is insurance. Get the MRI.

2. If the MRI shows long term type damage, lawyer up. A lawyer working on contingency (we don't pay unless you win...) will normally take about 1/3 of the money that you win.

3. If the MRI is clean, try to negotiate with the insurance company yourself before getting a lawyer. The insurance company will consider your pain and suffering seperate from your medical bills. In other words, your medical bills get paid and you should get something for pain and suffering. Lawyers normally consider ALL damages as one big pot of money. Hence, in a SMALL settlement, you can often do better on your own. A common rule of thumb is that you should get triple your medical expenses in pain and suffering money. For example, if you have 5k in medical bills, you should get 20k total (5k for the bills + 15k for pain and suffering). Keep in mind that adjustors know this and will try to settle for less. You can use the fact that lawyering up will cost them more money to get close to your desired figure. Also keep in mind that the insurance adjustor is going to be wary of you getting more medical attention in order to drive up the pain and suffering money. Doing that just makes everybody's insurance go up.

4. If the MRI is clean, but you are still a bit worried, you can settle the claim with an extended date. For example, the insurance company could stipulate that they will pay your future medical bills for 3-6 months, as long as they are accident related. This can be a good way to go if you have a minor injury or a soft tissue injury (like wiplash).

Once again, I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice. I have settled claims before and have had claims go to court before.

Hope this helps. Good luck to you and I hope that you feel better.

Answer 2

DON'T SETTLE!! I wanted to get your attention. Let me tell you my story.
I was rear ended by a drunk driver one day in San Antonio. He didn't have any insurance, of course. My insurance company wanted to settle quickly too. I was young and stupid so I settled rather soon. A few weeks after the accident I started getting a lot of neck pain (I had some pain right after the accident and had regular x-rays but they only showed a whiplash). The pain was starting to affect my life a lot. I finally had an MRI and guess what? I sustained 2 bulging discs in my neck because of that crash. That accident was 15 years ago and I still have a lot of neck pain and have to be very careful how I turn my head.
My point? If I hadn't settled so soon my insurance would have been responsible for my neck injury for the rest of my life perhaps. And the settlement would have been more maybe.
You need to find a MRI clinic or a hospital that accepts third party insurance. They're really pretty easy to find. County hospitals are good about taking different insurances. You might have to drive a bit but it will be worth it. You need to find out if there's anything wrong with your neck. MRI's are good.
Keep calling lawyers until you find one that will help you. He/she can also help you with your medical treatment as well as getting a settlement with the other guys insurance company.
Good luck to you! I hope you'll be okay!

Answer 3

Hi....depending on what state you are in, the person who hit you is definitely responsible for your bill. Was he/she given ticket at scene? Were police called at all? Do you have witnesses to the accident? Sounds like you need a new attorney; soft tissue injuries ARE major medical problems. Email me in private as I am a Chiropractic and Medical Biller and can possibly help you out with the right questions to ask. For the record, most doctors and hospitals do not work with third party billing; however, your personal health and auto insurance will cover your bills, then you recoup from the at-fault party.

Answer 4

It is very difficult to collect except in cases where there are catastrophic injuries, It has to be a very serious injury before an attorney will step in. I have been rear ended by an SBC Truck on Mothers Day it was a brand new car The young man driving did not see the red light , where I was waiting for the light to change and he did not see my car either and did over $5000. of damage could not lift my arm for 3 months, I am better now and Thank God nothing worse has happened

Answer 5

Does your auto insurance pay for hospital or doctor's visits related to the accident? The same kind of thing happened when I was hit by an 18 wheeler several years ago. I went ahead and had the xrays taken and ask the doctor bill me. I can't remember if the doctor contacted my auto insurance directly or if my insurance sent me a check in the amount from the doctor, but I didn't pay a thing for the xrays. Check with your insurance company.

Answer 6

Go under either your health insurance or your own car insurance. The coverage that pays for this on your car insurance is called either Personal Injury Protection or Medical Payments Coverage.

Answer 7

have the MRI done and wait for the bill then pay so much a month till its paid off what else can you do or if you can prove to billing your a crisis case they may reduce the cost of the MRI or not charge you anything at all

Answer 8

I would give the MRI people the other persons insurance info and tell them to charge it to the person that hit you...DO NOT settle!!!!!

Answer 9

When I fell on my apartment buildings property, my insurance sent a bill to my apartment buildings management company because i fell on a unsalted , icy sidewalk. Maybe you can talk to your insurance about something like that.