Who Pays for My Medical Bills After a Car Accident in Missouri?

Victims of Missouri Car Accidents Can Face Mountains of Medical Bills. Trust Duckworth Injury Law to Help Recover Damages to Pay Your Medical Costs After a Car Accident

If you’ve been injured in a car accident in Columbia, Jefferson City, the Lake of the Ozarks, or anywhere in mid-Missouri, you’ve likely needed medical treatment. Additionally, you have likely started to accumulate medical bills. The costs of medical treatment can be significant, with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality showing aggregate emergency department costs across the United States totaling $80.3 billion dollars in 2021 alone. According to United HealthCare, the median cost for a trip to the emergency room is $1,700. With the costs of medical treatment so high across the United States, including in mid-Missouri, you’re likely wondering who is responsible for paying your medical bills after a car accident and how such bills will be paid. Duckworth Injury Law is here to help you understand how to handle medical bills, especially after a car crash in Missouri.

If You Were Injured in a Mid-Missouri Car Accident, the At-Fault Driver Is Ultimately Responsible to Pay for Your Damages

The at-fault party may be held responsible for covering all past and future medical bills that were directly caused by, or contributed to, the car accident in question. If there is a dispute as to what injuries and resulting medical bills are attributable to the crash, a jury or judge will eventually be required to make that determination. While the at-fault party is responsible for paying your medical bills, the at-fault party’s auto insurance company (if the at-fault party is insured) will be responsible for satisfying any settlement or judgment on behalf of their insured (i.e., the at-fault driver), up to their insured’s bodily injury liability policy limits (Missouri requires drivers to maintain a minimum of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident in bodily injury liability coverage).

Be prepared to pay medical expenses upfront, as personal injury cases in Missouri can sometimes take a considerable amount of time to reach a resolution

It's important to note, however, that personal injury claims often take several months (and occasionally multiple years) to fully resolve. Typically, the at-fault party and/or his insurance company will not pay for your medical bills as they accrue, but will reimburse you for all medical bills at the conclusion of your case through one settlement payment. As such, it’s important that your medical bills are processed correctly during the time your case is pending. 

If you have health insurance, we often recommend submitting all medical bills to your health insurance for prompt payment. Your health insurance carrier will typically have contracts with the medical providers that cap the amount that must be paid to satisfy a charge. For example, while the average ER cost is $1,700, the industry standard for contractual adjustments is around 60-70%, resulting in actual payment for satisfaction of your ER bill of approximately $595. While you may have to reimburse your health insurance carrier for claim-related payments (this is known as subrogation) from your settlement proceeds with the at-fault party, you are still receiving the benefit of your health insurance company’s contractual adjustment on your bills, which may result in a higher net recovery for you. 

If you don’t have health insurance, Duckworth Injury Law can help you manage your medical bills from a car accident until your damages are accessible 

If you do not have health insurance, we will typically attempt to establish “liens” on your outstanding medical bills. A medical lien essentially puts your outstanding medical bills on hold but later requires you to pay the bills from your settlement proceeds obtained from the at-fault party. While you will not receive the benefit of contractual adjustments reducing the amounts owed on your bills (as you would if you submitted the bills to health insurance) Missouri law does restrict the amount of your settlement, which has to be paid to satisfy medical liens. 

Pursuant to RSMo. § 430.230, the total amount of all liens asserted on your case is not allowed to exceed 50% of your total recovery after payment of associated attorney’s fees and case expenses. In other words, if your total medical bills exceed 50% of your net recovery (after attorney’s fees and expenses) your medical bills will be reduced to 50% of your net recovery. For instance, if your total settlement is for $25,000, and you have $8,333.33 in attorney’s fees, $666.67 in case expenses, and $50,000 in medical bills – your medical providers will be required to accept just $8,000 for full satisfaction of your bills (net proceeds after fees and expenses are $16,000 and medical liens cannot exceed 50% of net recovery, equaling $8,000 in medical lien payments). 

Consult with a car crash lawyer like Duckworth Injury Law to better understand how to cover your medical bills after a Missouri car accident 

Every personal injury case is unique, so it’s important to consult with an experienced personal injury attorney to determine how your medical bills should be handled for your particular case. Factors to consider in determining how medical bills should be processed include:

• Whether you have health insurance
• The extent of your past and future medical bills
• The bodily injury policy limits of the at-fault party
• Whether your medical providers will agree to assert a medical lien
• The expected duration of your personal injury claim

Along with bodily injury liability coverage from the at-fault party, your attorney should also examine applicable coverages on your own auto policy which can potentially be used to satisfy your medical bills. These coverages include Medical Payments Coverage (optional coverage in Missouri which covers out-of-pocket medical expenses/outstanding bills), Uninsured Motorist Coverage (required coverage in Missouri which “steps into the shoes” of the at-fault party if the at-fault party is uninsured) and Underinsured Motorist Coverage (optional coverage in Missouri that covers damages which exceed the at-fault party’s liability limits).

Car accident attorney EC Duckworth is here to help victims of Missouri car accidents recover damages to cover their medical bills 

Whether your personal injury claim involves a car accident on U.S. 63 in Ashland, MO, a truck accident on I-70 in Boonville, MO, or a motorcycle accident on U.S. 54, in Fulton, MO, our firm’s car accident, truck accident, and motorcycle accident attorney is here for you. Having handled hundreds of personal injury claims across Missouri, attorney EC Duckworth is experienced with handling medical bills and ensuring they are processed in a way most advantageous to you. 

Don’t let mounting medical bills after a car accident cripple your financial future, reach out to Duckworth Injury Law today for a free case evaluation and consultation.