Getting Medical Bills Paid after a Rear-End Crash in West Virginia
A rear-end crash in West Virginia can cause serious injuries to occur. Getting treatment for these injuries can often be very expensive. Victims of collisions will need to explore options for getting medical bills paid after a rear-end crash so they do not end up being forced to pay out of pocket for treatment.
Tips for Getting Medical Bills Paid After a Rear-End Crash
In the state of West Virginia, drivers are required by law to purchase liability insurance coverage and to purchase uninsured motorist coverage. Liability insurance coverage pays bills when the insured policyholder causes a collision. Uninsured motorist coverage pays bills when a crash victim would normally be compensated by a driver who caused a crash, but the driver responsible for the collision doesn't have required insurance.
If a driver purchased only the minimum required coverage, the motorist would not be compensated by his car insurer if he caused a crash. As a result, a driver can get medical bills covered by an auto insurer only if the other motorist was at fault for the rear-end crash. It is presumed drivers in rear vehicles are at fault and liable for covering crash losses because it is their obligation to maintain a safe following distance. Rear drivers can sometimes try to argue front drivers are actually to blame, but such cases can be very difficult.
It is thus usually drivers in the front car who make claims to get medical bills paid after rear-end crashes. Passengers in the rear vehicle can also make a claim against the driver who was at fault, if they got hurt while riding in a car which crashed into a front vehicle.
When making a claim, victims of crashes should be aware insurers are not always willing to pay out the compensation crash victims deserve. American Association for Justice listed the 10 worst insurers in the United States along with the dishonest tactics used to try to get victims to accept less money than they deserve. Insurers could deny fault even when it is clear they should be paying, or could pressure victims to accept very low compensation which is below the actual losses they experienced. Insurers also delay in claims processing and aggressively litigate to try to avoid paying what is due.
Victims of rear-end accidents should make sure they understand their rights so they can try to make an effective claim to get full coverage for medical bills and other losses. Victims can get help from an attorney to deal with insurers on their behalf. The victims can accept a settlement if it is fair and compensates them fully for their medical expenditures, loss of wages, and non-financial damages or they can try to go to court to make a successful claim for compensation.
In addition to proving how the crash happened, victims should provide ample evidence about the extent of loss to try to ensure a settlement or jury verdict fully covers past and ongoing medical expenses. Detailed medical records are one of the keys to getting full compensation.