If you’re a Connecticut resident who was injured and can’t pay the bills, here’s what you need to know
Suffering a serious injury due to the negligence of another person is often a devastating and traumatic experience. Suffering such an injury without the ability to pay for your treatment is even more calamitous. If you’re in serious pain and disabled, the last thing you should have to worry about is going bankrupt or without treatment.
Fortunately, there are a few steps you can take to protect yourself and your health.
Letters of Protection
A letter of protection is a form of communication typically sent by a personal injury attorney to a medical professional in the wake of an accident. The letter acts as a guarantee of payment for medical services rendered. If someone is seriously injured in a car accident, pedestrian accident, dog bite incident or other accident , a letter of protection may be sent to a medical facility guaranteeing that costs associated with treatment of that injury will be paid out of any future settlement.
In addition to helping accident victims who cannot afford medical care, a letter of protection can also be useful in circumstances where insurance companies are in dispute with each other over liability for an accident. Healthcare plans will sometimes dispute payment for injuries sustained in automobile accidents, instead asking victims to pursue compensation from the auto insurer whose client is at fault.
Even if an auto carrier agrees to cover costs, they typically require crash victims to pay for medical services upfront then submit costs for reimbursement. This is beyond the means of many people, however.
Letters of protection give victims of car accidents, pedestrian accidents, dog bite incidents and other accidents, the flexibility to receive the care they require, at the time they need it most.
MedPay
Another option for preventing the above scenario from unfolding in the event of injuries from a motor vehicle incident is the purchase of MedPay, a form of insurance for passengers within vehicles. Most car insurance policies do not cover all passengers inside the vehicle. MedPay coverage will pay for medical treatment for all passengers inside a vehicle who were injured in a crash.
However, there are some limitations. First, the injuries must be directly related to the crash to be covered. Second, MedPay policies have limits, and typically do not exceed $25,000. MedPay also does not cover lost wages or other ancillary forms of economic loss.
MedPay often works best as an addition to existing insurance policies, as many of them leave a coverage gap for passengers. If you’re someone who carpools frequently, MedPay is an especially attractive option.
Finding the Right Connecticut Personal Injury Attorney
At Brickley Law, we treat our clients with sensitivity and compassion. We understand the burden that not being able to pay for medical care imposes, mentally and physically, and we are here to help.
If you need someone to draft a letter of protection or represent you in a personal injury case, we urge you to call us for a free consultation today.