When you are injured in an auto accident in Southern California, your life can be greatly impacted in several ways. First, your physical recovery may require a significant amount of time, and you may need to undergo specialized treatments to support your healing process. As a result, you’ll likely face costly medical bills and other unanticipated expenses related to your injury, which can lead to financial concerns. How will you be able to cover these costs? Filing an insurance claim can take time, and you may wonder if other payment options, such as Medicare or Medi-Cal could cover some of these expenses while you wait for your compensation. While these options may be available to you, it’s important to understand how they work so that you know what to expect from the auto accident settlement process.
The Auto Accident Settlement Timeline in Riverside County
After you’ve suffered an auto accident injury in California, you’ll need to explore your options for collecting compensation. First, you should file a claim with your insurance company to determine what costs they will be able to pay. Eventually, you may be able to collect compensation from the at-fault party’s insurance company; however, these processes take time. Each claim must be investigated and negotiated before a settlement is reached. In the meantime, you are typically compelled to cover your medical expenses with the expectation that you’ll later receive reimbursement. Here’s where Medicare and Medi-Cal could step in to help you cover these immediate costs.
How Medicare and Medi-Cal Factor Into the Auto Accident Claims Process
For car accident victims over the age of 65 who are enrolled in Medicare, it may be possible to use these benefits to pay for some of the medical costs stemming from your injury. In most cases—and depending on your coverage—Medicare can assist with emergency treatments, inpatient care, physical therapy, chiropractor visits, prescription medications, and certain other therapeutic treatments. However, it’s important to recognize that while they may pay for these costs in the short-term, these programs will expect to be repaid once you receive your settlement.
Navigating Potential Legal Issues Following Your Temecula Car Accident
After a settlement is reached, you need to repay Medicare or Medi-Cal for the expenses they covered. If you fail to do so, these agencies may take legal action against you and demand compensation. In many instances, car accident victims are notified that Medicare is taking legal action against them even before their personal injury case has been settled, which can be frightening. If this happens to you, do not despair—contact a trusted auto accident lawyer to discuss your options for successfully resolving the matter. Ultimately, it’s in your best interest to work with an attorney throughout the entirety of the car accident claims process so that you can obtain the best possible outcome.
For more information on what steps to take following an auto accident in Murrieta or Temecula, contact Hales & Associates, A Professional Law Corporation at (951) 489-3320 today.