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 to 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 which 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 care you receive so you can 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.
