Who Pays My Medical Bills After a Semi-Truck Accident?
January 13, 2025 | By Colombo Law
Due to the severity of injuries, truck accident medical expenses are often substantial. They also tend to represent a significant portion of the damages in a truck accident claim.
If you were injured in a truck accident through no fault of your own, you shouldn’t have to bear the costs. The Morgantown truck accident lawyers at Colombo Law can help you pursue maximum compensation for medical expenses and other damages.
Our attorneys work with leading experts to understand the nature and extent of your injuries. We carefully assess your medical bills to date, as well as the cost of medical treatment, therapy, and other forms of care you will need in the future.
For a FREE case review, call Colombo Law at 304-599-4229 today. Our truck accident lawyers serve clients throughout West Virginia from offices in Morgantown.
How Are Medical Bills Paid After a Truck Accident?
Depending on the state in which you live and your personal circumstances, there are several different ways to pay medical bills in the aftermath of a truck accident:
- Personal injury protection (PIP): This insurance is required in states with a no-fault system for auto accidents. If you are injured in an accident, you would turn to your own insurance coverage first for payment of medical bills.
- NOTE: West Virginia is NOT a no-fault state, and PIP insurance is NOT available. As such, drivers in West Virginia cannot turn to PIP for coverage of accident-related medical expenses.
- Medical payments (Med Pay): In most states, Med Pay is optional coverage that can be added to your auto insurance. As the name suggests, it helps pay for medical expenses following a motor vehicle accident. Unfortunately, the coverage limits tend to be fairly low and Med Pay only covers certain types of expenses.
- Health insurance: As a general rule, health insurance will help cover the cost of medical treatment after an accident. This typically includes private and employer-provided health insurance, as well as Medicaid and Medicare. You may be responsible for co-pays and/or meeting deductibles.
- NOTE: If your health insurance helped pay some of the medical expenses after a car accident for which you later obtain compensation from the other driver, the insurer may be entitled to a portion of the recovery.
- Filing a personal injury claim: No matter where you are and what type of insurance you have, it is imperative to know your rights after a truck accident. Compensation for medical bills and other losses may be obtained through a personal injury claim.
Liability insurance provides compensation to the victim(s) when a driver causes an accident. In West Virginia, drivers are required to carry $25,000 in liability insurance per person and $50,000 per accident. Commercial trucking insurance requirements are much higher ($750,000–$5 million). This is due to the extent of the injuries commonly seen in truck accidents and the expenses for which the at-fault truck driver may be liable.
What to Know About Filing a Personal Injury Claim After a Truck Accident
Fair compensation for truck accident medical expenses is not guaranteed. West Virginia is an at-fault or fault-based state, so you will need to prove that someone (such as the truck driver and/or other defendants) was responsible for the crash that led to your injuries.
This isn’t easy. Litigation involving truck accidents is particularly complex, requiring in-depth knowledge of state and federal motor carrier regulations to establish negligence and liability.
A comprehensive understanding of serious and catastrophic injuries is also essential. The injuries in a truck accident can have long-term repercussions, including permanent disability. Without qualified legal counsel, you run the risk of recovering less than you deserve for the totality of your medical expenses—both to date and going forward.
Calculating Medical Expenses After a Semi-Truck Accident
If you have been in a truck accident, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. Don’t worry about the cost right now; go to the emergency room and get checked for injuries.
You should also explore your legal options without delay, as West Virginia only gives you 2 years to bring an injury claim. An experienced truck accident attorney can immediately begin investigating, collecting evidence, and calculating the damages you are due.
Current Medical Expenses
Starting with the first trip to the hospital, you need to begin keeping records of the medical care you receive. Hold onto any receipts, bills, and invoices for:
- Ambulance services
- Emergency room treatment
- Diagnostic tests and imaging
- Hospital stays
- Surgeries and post-operative care
- Prescription medications
- Assistive devices (such as crutches, wheelchairs, etc.)
- Physical therapy
- Occupational and vocational rehabilitation
- Psychological counseling and therapy
- Home-based medical care
- The cost of travel for medical appointments
Read More: Medical Expenses in a Personal Injury Claim
Be sure to keep records of the costs handled by health insurance, such as explanations of benefits and health statements. Complete and accurate documentation may be useful if the health insurance company places a lien on your settlement or judgment.
Future Medical Expenses
People who have been injured often think they can only obtain compensation for the medical bills and expenses they’ve paid to date. In reality, you can—and should—pursue relief for all financial losses in your personal injury claim. This includes medical expenses you will face in the future.
Truck accident medical expenses are rarely limited to the initial cost of treating the injuries and getting you back on your feet. In fact, the future cost of care, therapy, and rehabilitation is often as much—if not more—than what you pay upfront.
Obviously, future medical bills don’t have a dollar value. Basically, they are an educated estimate of the overall expense based on your ongoing and future medical needs. These may include:
- Follow-up care with doctors, specialists, therapists, and other providers
- Ongoing therapy and rehabilitation
- Medication costs over the course of your life
- The cost of assistive devices (such as mobility aids, prosthetic limbs, etc.)
- Plastic and reconstructive surgery, revision surgeries, and other procedures
- Subsequent hospitalizations, if your injuries pose a high risk of complications
- Modifications to your home or vehicle to accommodate limitations or disability
- Anticipated costs of home- and facility-based care
Expert testimony is crucial for establishing future medical expenses. A qualified truck accident lawyer will consult with your doctors and other medical experts, as well as financial professionals to calculate the lifetime cost of medical care based on the severity of your injuries and their prognosis.
Get Qualified Truck Accident Support from Colombo Law
In the aftermath of a truck accident, it is natural to feel overwhelmed. Serious injuries are costly, leave you in pain, weigh on your mind, and can totally alter the trajectory of your life. You shouldn’t have to worry about dealing with insurance companies or litigation on top of these challenges. That’s where Colombo Law can help.
Truck accidents represent a major focus of our practice. We know how trucking companies and insurers operate because we’ve sat across the negotiating table and gone up against them in court many times. Our team has the experience, skill, and acumen to maximize your compensation—not only for truck accident medical expenses but lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages.
Contact Colombo Law today for a FREE consultation with a truck accident lawyer. We serve clients in Morgantown and all of West Virginia.