Bernalillo Personal Injury Insurance Settlement Lawyer
You were the victim of an accident caused by another person or a company. When you sought medical treatment for your injuries, you were asked for contact information for the person who caused your injuries. You provided the information and may have signed a form agreeing that your own health insurance company would not be billed for your medical care and agreeing to be responsible for any costs that the at-fault person's insurance company doesn't pay. It seemed to make sense at the time — the person who caused your injuries should pay your medical bills, right?
Unfortunately, this little administrative matter could become a costly mistake.
Insurance companies won't pay out piecemeal settlements, so the bill submitted by your doctor won't get paid if it is not submitted to your health insurance company within a reasonable time period. The at-fault insurance company will ignore it because the at-fault insurance company wants to settle the whole claim — lost wages, pain and suffering, etc. — at one time.
It is common for those medical bills to be sent to collection, which means you will be faced with serious problems, including damage to your credit report. You owe money for medical bills that should have been paid by your health insurance company, but you may have missed the deadline within which you are required to file such a claim.
Get a Former Insurance Attorney on Your Side,
Contact the Pofahl Law Firm
Before you sign any papers relating to payment of medical bills, get legal advice from an experienced Bernalillo personal injury lawyer at the Pofahl Law Firm. I'm Albuquerque lawyer Brady Pofahl. As a former insurance defense attorney, I understand how the various insurance companies use small mistakes for their own benefit, without thinking of the tremendous cost to the accident victim.
Albuquerque Lawyer Helping You Pay for Medical Bills after an Accident
You may have 90 days or less to file a medical claim with your health insurance provider, which is required by law to pay your bills. That's why you bought health insurance. Use it.
If you have already given other contact information to the hospital or clinic, talk to a supervisor and explain that all bills must be submitted to your own health insurance company. Send a letter as well so you have documentation in writing that you have provided information about your health insurer and have asked that it be billed. You are not required to provide any information about the at-fault or your own automobile insurance company.
Follow up with everyone — the hospital, the doctor, the billing department, the health insurance company — to ensure that bills are being paid by your health insurance company in a timely manner. I can help you with this process as part of handling your injury and accident claim.
Medical Liens
Your health insurance company does not want to be left with bills that should be paid by the insurance company of the at-fault driver. It will probably file a lien against you asking to be reimbursed for your health care expenses when you receive a financial settlement. As your lawyer, I will negotiate a reduction of the lien amount when the final verdict or settlement has been received. Any difference between the settlement amount and the amount of the lien goes directly to you, my client.
For example, if the medical providers submitted $22,000 in hospital bills and the health insurance company paid $7,000, I may be able to reduce their $7,000 lien down to $5,000, leaving a net benefit of $17,000 between the original medical bills and the amount that is paid back out of the settlement or judgment to your health insurance company. I will not take any of that remaining $17,000 as part of my fee.
Contact Me
Don't wait to take action after your motor vehicle accident or premises accident. Start working toward medical and financial recovery. Contact me today for a free initial consultation about your personal injury case. Located in uptown Albuquerque, my offices offer easy parking. Off-site and after-hours appointments are available.
