Maison Law stands up for car accident victims throughout California, making sure they have the legal support and guidance they need to recover from their injuries. That said, probably the most important question you have to answer after these accidents involves how you’ll pay for your medical bills and expenses. While there are a number of different ways to do this, including online fundraiser sites like GoFundMe and others, there’s a number of legal options as well. To learn more, contact us for a free consultation.
What Medical Expenses Will You Have After a Car Accident?
What makes car accidents so difficult is that even minor ones can leave you with medical expenses and bills. On top of things like the repair costs for your vehicle and other damage, car accidents can quickly leave you in a state of financial distress.
That’s the main aim of the legal process in California. It gives you the right to file an injury claim against whoever is responsible for causing the accident, which in turn allows you to recover certain “damages.” Medical expenses are one of the main recoverable parts of an injury claim, along with things like lost wages, pain and suffering, and emotional distress. However, it’s your medical expenses that will usually make up the bulk of these damages. Every accident is different, but typical medical expenses after a car accident include things like:
- Emergency room costs – Immediate medical care after an accident can involve emergency room charges.
- Hospitalization – If the injuries are severe, you may need to stay in the hospital for further treatment and observation.
- Medical testing – Costs for diagnostic tests like X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans may be recovered in a claim.
- Doctor’s or surgeon’s fees – Fees for consultations with doctors, surgeons, and specialists.
- Medication – Costs for any medications prescribed for pain relief or recovery.
- Physical therapy – Rehabilitation or physical therapy sessions may be required for recovery.
- Ambulance services – If you were transported by ambulance, there could be charges for this service.
On your end, it’s vital that you keep good records of all your treatment and bills. This goes a long way in determining the extent of your injuries and can be important evidence in your claim. From there, working with our team can help you in gathering and presenting this evidence in the claims process.
Claims Process After a Car Accident
Again, every accident is different. With that said, though, the claims process is structured in a similar way across California. Generally, it involves either:
- An insurance claim
- Personal injury lawsuit
Once fault is determined in the accident, the first step involves filing an insurance claim with the at-fault party’s provider. Following this, an assigned insurance adjuster will review your claim and may take one of several actions:
- Accept it
- Reject it
- Give you a settlement offer
When the claim is with an adjuster, they have access to their company’s resources, including launching an investigation. While each claim’s complexity can vary, filing an insurance claim has advantages versus filing a lawsuit first off:
- Saving you money – You avoid incurring court-related expenses and reduce lawyers’ fees.
- Getting money quicker – An insurance claim increases the likelihood of a quicker settlement offer, putting money in your pocket sooner.
- Simplified process – the insurance process is typically less involved than a full lawsuit, with less paperwork and time-consuming procedures.
- Clearer valuation of your case – You gain a better understanding of the value of your claim.
However, settling your case outside of court comes with drawbacks:
- Stalling – Insurance companies may attempt to prolong the claims process, potentially causing financial challenges.
- They decide how much your claim is worth – The insurance company has the power to determine the worth of your claim.
- Incomplete coverage – The settlement offer might not adequately cover all your damages and other expenses.
Filing a lawsuit
Obviously, your particular needs are going to set the expectations when it comes to your expenses after a car accident. While you certainly have the option to accept a settlement offer from the insurance company, filing a lawsuit gives you a fuller opportunity to really recover what you need from the person that caused the accident.
On top of medical expenses, you can potentially recover the following in a lawsuit:
- Lost wages – These cover both past income loss and potential future earnings.
- Pain and suffering – Pain and suffering damages take the immediate and enduring physical distress caused by the incident into account.
- Loss of enjoyment of life – These damages relate to the adverse impact on your overall well-being and daily life.
- Wrongful death expenses – If the accident was fatal, these damages cover funeral expenses and other significant damages to your surviving family members
Should You Make a GoFundMe?
With legal options at your disposal, you don’t need to rely on online fundraisers like GoFundMe and others. However, you certainly are allowed to if you want. This is a way to totally avoid the legal process, but there’s an important distinction here:
- A GoFundMe doesn’t have any guarantee of coming through
On top of other issues, like privacy concerns and tax implications, you’ll need to be transparent if you do decide to rely on one of these online fundraisers. Worse yet, if you don’t get what you need from the GoFundMe and have to then file a claim, an insurance company will almost certainly use this information against you when valuing your claim and offering a settlement. Thus, legal action is a better way to get what you need after a car accident.
Contact Maison Law Today
Facing the physical and financial challenges after a car accident in California is certainly troubling. While you have legal options, there’s a variety of other options you have to try to regain your financial stability. At Maison Law, we proudly stand with you and can make sure you have what you need for your recovery. If you’ve been injured in a car accident, contact us today for a free consultation to discuss your options.
