Pennsylvania is a no-fault insurance state. You can purchase full tort coverage or opt out of it. Your choice on this issue will affect what course of action you can take after a rear-end car crash in PA.
A careful review of your insurance policy can help you determine what options you have and the best way to get your medical bills paid. If you wish to pursue a case against another driver’s insurance company and you have insurance that allows you to do that, you’ll have to prove that the other driver was at fault. In rear-end collisions, there’s a presumption that the rear driver who hit the front car is to blame.
No matter which insurance company you make a claim against to get your bills covered, dealing with insurers and trying to get full payments for medical bills can be complicated.American Association for Justice has reported on many different tactics insurers use to try to avoid paying claims or to underpay claims, including delaying and aggressively fighting when crash victims try to get more money than the insurance company offers in low settlements.
Getting Medical Bills Paid After a Rear-End Crash in Harrisburg
After a rear-end crash, collision victims should follow some basic steps to try to make sure insurance pays for all of their covered medical bills and costs. Crash victims should:
- Obtain an accident report from the police. You should contact law enforcement to come to the accident scene and make a report about what happened. This report could be necessary if there is a dispute over who is at fault for the accident and you want to pursue a bodily injury claim against the other driver.
- Take photos at the scene of the crash and get the contact details of people who witnessed the collision. All of this can also provide invaluable proof about how an accident happened in case there is any disagreement regarding the cause of the rear-end collision.
- Notify your insurance company immediately after the accident. The other driver may try to get you not to tell insurers, especially if they know they are at fault for rear-ending you. The driver may say he’ll pay on his own privately. Don’t listen – you could end up suffering more costly losses than you expected and all applicable insurance companies need to be notified to preserve the ability to make a claim.
- Be careful what you say to insurance companies. Don’t provide more information than necessary until you have spoken with a lawyer. You do not want insurance companies twisting your words to deny coverage or to pay you less than you deserve.
- Get medical help. You want to have detailed documentation of your injuries and keep careful records of the care you receive to prove the extent of losses and expenditures on medical care.
Following these tips and hiring a lawyer to deal with the insurance companies on your behalf will ensure that all of your medical bills are processed promptly and correctly.