If you were hurt in a car accident caused by another driver, your hospital bills and your physical therapy bills should be the worry of the driver’s car insurance provider.
Your insurance claim must seek coverage for the costs of physical therapy for as long as you need that care. What’s more, while you wait on your claim to be resolved, a lawyer can also help find therapists who will put off billing until you receive a settlement.
We offer a free, no-obligation case review to go over the best way to hold a car insurer 100% responsible for your doctor bills and your physical therapy invoices.
Physical Therapy After a California Accident
A major car accident along a freeway or boulevard can leave victims with broken bones, hip tears and dislocations, and back injuries. Cuts may soon heal, and stitches may come out, but that doesn’t mean life always returns to normal.
Victims may need expensive physical therapy sessions for several different reasons:
- To restore flexibility to a joint like a broken ankle or wrist.
- To return a range of motion in the neck after suffering whiplash. The Cleveland Clinic confirms that whiplash can damage bones, muscles, ligaments, and nerves.
- To restore strength in a damaged limb.
- To relearn to walk normally.
- To manage the pain of an injury.
Surgery can make sure bones are growing together properly, but it’s up to a Physiotherapist to get these damaged body parts back to their normal function with as little discomfort as possible.
It’s why it’s critical for victims to receive enough financial support to cover the physical therapy they need now and may require in the months ahead. A California car accident lawyer works with doctors to make sure patients know what’s ahead and can demand the money they’ll need to complete a full recovery.
Surviving Financially Until a Car Accident Settlement Arrives
Many car accident victims receive full compensation for their injury costs and lost paychecks, but that support rarely arrives quickly.
Victims can have hospital bills come due long before they get a settlement check from a car insurance company like Progressive or State Farm.
It’s a stressful situation for sure, but a skilled lawyer is also able to help clients during this waiting period. Maison Law is often able to direct victims to doctors and physical therapists who work with car accident victims and are willing to wait on payment.
When they agree to a medical lien, they delay medical bills for their services until a settlement is issued.
California car crash victims should also be aware that if their health insurance pays for care, insurers will want to be paid back if the victim later receives injury compensation. This is handled through a process called subrogation.
What Should the Car Insurance Company Cover?
Pricing for physical therapy can vary widely depending on what part of California you are in. But a survey of therapy facilities that have made their prices public has put current-day pricing anywhere between $100 and $400 per session. With health insurance, that can mean a co-pay of $10 to $75, but that’s after you’ve met your deductible.
When filing a claim, an experienced lawyer would demand that all hospital and physical therapy bills be paid and that all estimates for future care be covered. The income you lost while out of work with an injury must be replaced. The physical pain and emotional trauma you endure after your care accident must also be compensated.
And when physical therapy is involved, additional damages must be factored in:
- The pain that’s endured during a long recovery and during physical therapy time.
- The emotional setbacks during a difficult and discouraging recovery.
- The costs of therapy equipment patients may need to have at home.
- Reimbursement for the travel costs to attend multiple physical therapy sessions.
- The lost income while victims must take off work for appointments.
Contact a California Accident Attorney
Maison Law offers free case reviews to all injured car accident victims and their families. We’ll help you determine the best path to getting the most out of your injury claim so you can pay for physical therapy and get back to your normal life.
If we can’t help you earn more, we’ll tell you that. We’ll also point you in the right direction for winning your case by filing it yourself. But when you come away from a collision with a serious injury, a lawyer is often able to earn you much more than you could earn by handling a claim yourself.
It’s also important to note that if you need a lawyer, you don’t have to worry about how you’ll pay one. We work on behalf of clients with no upfront costs. We are only paid if your case is won. Then our fee comes out of a settlement check the car insurance company must write.
Additional Resources:
Help with Your Occupational Therapy Costs After an Accident
Help with your Cognitive Rehab Therapy Costs After an Accident
