Who will pay for the hospital bills if I have a slip and fall?

Slip and fall injuries can result in the accumulation of thousands of dollars of medical bills. The medical bills may result from emergency room visits, doctor visits, physical therapy, diagnostic testing and, in some cases, surgery. A major concern of many injured parties is who’s responsible for the paying of those accumulated bills?

Businesses and insurance companies are often aware that it is impossible to have injury-free premises. For that reason, many of them carry insurance coverage that provides coverage to pay medical bills, up to a certain amount, regardless as to whether or not the property owner was at fault for the injury. This coverage is commonly known as medical payments coverage, and is not mandatory coverage but is often found in both commercial and homeowners policies, and is a “goodwill” feature to ensure injured people are able to get needed medical care.

Medical payment coverage is typically available to anyone who is injured in the areas of control of a business of home. Most policies only require proof that an injury occurred, and not who was at fault. Since this is such a low burden of proof, medical payment coverage tends to be very limited and will typically only cover initial medical bills.

In the event that a property owner offers to pay your medical bills, that payment, in and of itself, is not an admission of liability of fault on the part of the property owner, and will not affect any right to bring any future claim for injury. You should be very cautious about signing any release or paperwork that offers to exchange payment of medical bills for a release from future injury claims. If presented with any such release from a property owner and/or insurance adjuster for the property owner, you should you consult with an attorney before signing any document that could affect your rights to file a future claim.

If the owner of the property you sustain your injury in does not assist you with your initial medical bills and you have health insurance, Medicare or Medicaid, your bills may be covered by one of those insurance carriers. However, it is important for you to understand that most health insurance carriers, including Medicare and Medicaid, will look to be compensated for any medical treatment they any pay for your slip and fall injury in the event you receive a monetary settlement for your injury.

If you do not have health insurance, Medicare or Medicaid, the medical bills will remain your responsibility until either a settlement is reached or you have a successful verdict in court. In that event, you have the obligation to pay for these medical bills when due. If you cannot pay them, please be advised that you may be accountable for accumulated late fees or reports to your credit. Many times, when medical providers are made aware of a pending claim they may be more flexible in the collection of their bills.

How, and by whom, the medical bills you may be responsible for as a result of your slip and fall injury will be paid by are complex and confusing issues. Dan Newlin Injury Attorneys deal with these issues every day and have the knowledge and experience to work with your health insurance carrier and medical bill providers to ensure that all medical bills are satisfied in the most cost effective manner. We make it our policy to advocate on your behalf until the completion of your case, assisting you in resolving your medical bills. If you have concerns about how your bills will be handled, please call or contact our office today. In a free phone call, we can offer legal advice as to how best to proceed with your case and handle your accumulated medical bills. Call Dan Newlin Injury Attorneys today at 800-257-1822. You will be glad you did.