Health Insurance in Toledo Bicycle Accident Cases

Health insurance is crucial to the aftermath of a bicycle accident to ensure that the bicyclist is able to pay the medical bills. Without health insurance, there is a potential that the injured individual is not going to have the ability to pay the medical bills and may be forced into bankruptcy. One of the biggest reasons that people file bankruptcy in the United States is due to the lack of health insurance coverage. To learn more about health insurance in Toledo bicycle accident cases, speak with an experienced bicycle accident attorney today.

Steps Following a Bicycle Accident

The first things a person should do regarding their health insurance following a bicycle accident are present their health insurance card and ask that their health insurance is billed for every medical provider that they go to after the bicycle accident. Other factors that may influence a person’s insurance rate if they are involved in a bicycle accident include if there was a fault for the accident, how much was paid out for the claim and what is the person and their family’s other claim history. For example, if it is the only claim in the last five years, it is probably not going to have as big an impact as if there were five other claims.

What Happens if an Injured Person Does Not Have Health Insurance?

If a person does not have health insurance and is injured in a bicycle accident, there is the potential that they have to file for bankruptcy. An attorney might be able to help them get a charitable write off by the Medical Institution. In addition, under Ohio law, if it is a catastrophic injury, there is a possibility that by working with a lawyer the individual may qualify for Ohio Medicaid.

An injured person without health insurance may be able to pay for their treatment by setting up a payment plan, borrowing money, qualifying for Ohio Medicaid if they lose their job, or by asking for a charitable deduction to wipe the bills clean.

Benefits of Health Insurance

The benefits of having health insurance in Toledo bicycle accident cases is that the health insurance will pay for the person’s medical bills and allow them to seek the best medical attention possible. This means the person could have the opportunity to choose their own doctor. With health insurance, the injured person has the opportunity to get quality medical care to treat their injuries.

Health Insurance and Paid Sick Leave Impact on Recovery

A person’s health insurance coverage or paid sick leave from work could limit their recovery from their bicycle accident because of the Robinson Rule. The Robinson Rule says a person is allowed to present for repayment, besides pain and suffering and inconvenience, to the jury both the gross and the net amount of the medical bills. For example, if the medical bills are $10,000, the health insurance pays $4,000 and the co-pays are $500, the jury would hear that the gross medical bills were $10,000 and the Robinson number is $4,500. A jury or the insurance company is likely going to offer the $4,500 as the net amount of the medical bills.

Reimbursing Health Insurance Company Following Settlement

In almost all circumstances health insurance companies require people to reimburse them for paid medical expenses if the injured person receives a settlement. Almost every health insurance company has a subrogation clause in their contract, which means that if the bicycle rider is injured in an accident and recovers from a third party, they have to reimburse the health insurance for the monies they paid on the rider’s behalf.

An attorney is oftentimes able to substantially discount the money that the injured person has to pay back to the health insurance company. The insurance company typically asks for a significant portion of the settlement, but a lawyer could be able to negotiate to a lower number.

Bicycle Accident Impact on Health Insurance Rates in Toledo

Bicycle accidents can negatively impact a person’s health insurance rates. However, the injured bicyclist could potentially make a claim under their homeowner’s insurance policy. If the homeowner’s insurance paid the claim, it would will the same negative impact as if there was a dog bite or a fire loss paid for under their homeowner’s policy. To learn more about health insurance in Toledo bicycle accident cases, contact a seasoned attorney today.

Other factors that may influence a person’s insurance rate is if they are involved in a bicycle include if they were at fault for the accident, how much was paid out for the claim, and what the person’s claim history is.

For instance, if this is their only claim in the last five years, it will probably not have as big of an impact as if there were five other claims.

Benefits of a Working With a Bicycle Accident Attorney

Some of the benefits of working with a bike accident lawyer when dealing with health insurance in Toledo bicycle accident cases include making sure that the health insurance company lives up to the contract and pays the bills. Sometimes the health insurance company says it is outside of an accident and does not want to pay anything. Their contract, for the most, part indicates that they have a right of subrogation, meaning they have to pay first and they could make a claim for reimbursement later. Another benefit of working with a bike crash attorney is that they could work to reduce the amount of money that you may have to pay the insurance company back in subrogation.