One of the most common mistakes people make after a car crash is not getting medical care. Those without their own health insurance might think that they can’t afford a trip to the doctor even if they hit their head or otherwise suffered injuries in the crash. They may think that it is a better decision to try to tough it out and treat their own symptoms at home.
There are numerous issues with this approach. The first and most obvious is that a person without medical training may not realize how serious their injuries are. An accurate and quick diagnosis can be important to someone’s recovery if they have a brain injury or internal bleeding after a car crash.
The other issue with foregoing medical care is that if someone does develop more serious symptoms later, they may have a hard time getting the other driver’s insurance to cover them. If you have any reason to suspect of potential injury, you should seek medical evaluation as soon as possible after a car crash.
Standard health insurance won’t cover car crash injuries in many cases
Whether or not you have a health insurance policy isn’t what really matters after a crash. Your health insurance policy would potentially pay the claim at first, but it would subrogate those costs to the insurance policy of the driver who caused the crash.
When someone has liability for injuries, your health insurance isn’t the policy that matters but rather the policy that protects the responsible party from liability. The fact that you don’t have insurance won’t stop you from receiving medical treatment that insurance will cover.
If the other driver caused the wreck, their insurance will pay
When police establish fault for a crash, the driver ultimately responsible is the one who has to pay for the injuries and property damage. Their insurance policy will typically cover those expenses. Every driver gets to decide how much insurance they want, provided that they carry the minimum amount required by the Connecticut state government.
The other driver legally has to have at least $25,000 worth of bodily injury liability coverage if one person gets hurt or $50,000 worth of coverage for a crash that injures multiple people. Your own car insurance policy can also help. If the other driver’s coverage isn’t enough, you can make a claim against your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, which is usually the same amount that you have for liability coverage.
Understanding how important timely treatment is and that you won’t personally have to pay those costs if you weren’t at fault for the crash could help you make the right decision after a serious collision.
