If you get hurt in an auto accident, you’re going to wonder who will pay for your medical treatment, your time away from work and other things. You may wonder about ending up in court and winning, and what happens until then.
Start Right — Go To Your Doctor
If you’re in an auto accident and think you need treatment, get it! Waiting may give rise to doubts about the connection between the accident and the injury. If you do end up in court, you don’t want to walk through the door having handed the opposition a weapon to use against you.
Remember, you are responsible for your medical bills until somebody makes a legal judgment to the contrary. If you’re going to court and your lawyers are working “on contingency” (meaning they get paid if you receive compensation), they are not covering your expenses during the process. If you have insurance, your doctors and hospitals may send the bills directly to your insurance provider or to you for you to submit. Either way, you are expected to cover co-pays and some other up-front costs, and you need to keep copies of all bills, invoices, letters, etc., you never know when you may need them.
No-fault Laws
So-called “no-fault” laws are misnamed. Someone is legally at fault. These laws were designed to make life easier for consumers/victims. Essentially, they mean that your insurance pays your costs, the other driver’s insurance pays their costs, the insurance companies then slug it out over who really pays the whole thing. Utah is a no-fault state, but, like many other states, there are details and limitations which could change from year to year — the state legislature may revise any provision of their law at any time.
We’re Here If You Need Us
You might think all this complexity is designed to do nothing more than scare you into accepting the first offer the insurance company makes, just to avoid months in the legal maze. Don’t do that! Liability law is complex and can be a challenge to navigate, but you can do it and it’ll go a whole lot better if you have representation — someone who knows the details of insurance procedures, liability law, and state law — helping you through.
The Morgan Law Firm specializes in automobile accidents. We hope you never need a personal injury lawyer, but, if you do, hire one that assumes you’ve already suffered enough. We’ll work to protect you by handling the details of your claim. We’ll give you time to heal. With six offices in and around Idaho and Utah, we are in your corner.
