In Pennsylvania, when you are in a car accident, the medical bills are covered first under your own policy no matter whose fault the accident is. This is called "no-fault" coverage and is part of what you have been paying insurance premium all these years for. The state minimum medical coverage on auto policies is $5,000. That does not go far when you are hospitalized or need diagnostic tests like MRIs. (You should ask your agent about getting more coverage, at least $10,000 in medical-- it may not cost much more and is well worth it).
If your auto medical coverage is exhausted, your health insurance would then have to start paying the bills. (NOTE: If the accident is someone else's fault, their insurance won't pay any of your medical bills until the end of the case- that is, without a full release).
If the other driver is at fault, their company most likely won't explain to you that if you accept any settlement, your health insurance company may have to right to get any money they paid for your medical bills back from you. This is called subrogation. If you settle with the at-fault insurer without finding out about "subrogation" from your health insurer, you will be stuck paying the subrogation back. This can be a very tricky issue, and one well worth having an attorney handle your claim for you.
If you have any questions, or would like more information, feel free to contact us.
Mayerson Schreiber McDevitt, P.C.
610-948-4800
www.mayerson.com
Injured? We work for your case. 610-792-3304
www.PAinjurycase.com
About Me
- David Schreiber
- I have been practicing law since 1994. From 1994-1998, I was a State's Attorney with the "Governor's Law Firm", called the Office of General Counsel. I represented the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in Civil Actions, including winning cases on appeal before the Commonwealth Court. In 1998, I joined a local firm. I became a shareholder. I am now a Partner at Wolpert Schreiber P.C., focusing on injury law and insurance disputes. I am one of the few lawyers handling injury cases who has worked exclusively both as a lawyer for injured people and in house for a large law group defending those claims when I was with the "Governor's Law Firm". My work also includes Insurance Disputes and Contracts. I have successfully handled hundreds and hundreds of cases, including cases to jury verdict, in State and Federal Court. I am honored to help people who come to us to solve their problems. Our goal is to seek truth and accountability, while working as hard as possible for our clients. I have obtained millions of dollars in recoveries for clients over the years. We work for your case.