Author: Katie Bosworth
We often tell our clients that the first six months to a year after an auto accident or other personal injury are the most difficult time to endure over the course of the entire personal injury claim. Most people are experiencing the height of their pain and disability from their injury during this time. Many are unable to work and earn a living. Meanwhile, not only are medical bills piling up, but insurance companies that should be paying them frequently deny them while the accident claim is pending, which can result in the bills being sent to collections. Here are some ways hiring an experienced personal injury attorney can help during this difficult time.
- Making sure the medical providers know the insurance company to bill.
Immediately after an accident, one of the things we do is send notice to all the treating medical providers explaining which insurance company they should bill first (whether that’s a medical payments or No Fault policy through auto insurance, or the client’s health insurance, or some other policy). Once that policy is exhausted, we notify the provider to start billing the next insurance company, in the order of priority. We continue to monitor things to ensure the bills are getting paid by the correct insurance company.
2. Handling insurance company denials
If it turns out that the insurance company who is responsible for the medical bill denies the claim, we can assist in appealing that denial to get the bill paid. This is something we frequently do for our clients.
3. Keeping track of unpaid bills and organizing records
The amount of paperwork an injured person receives from insurance companies and medical providers after an accident can be overwhelming. Our personal injury team includes a medical records department, which keeps track of the bills so that we know which ones are paid and which ones need to be satisfied. It is a big job to keep this information organized, and the benefit of having a professional handle this cannot be overstated.
4. Avoiding collections
As soon as we receive notices from our client about unpaid bills potentially being sent to collections, we attempt to work with the providers to avoid this. We can’t guarantee success of course, but we find keeping open communication with the medical facilities and encouraging our clients to set up payment plans until the insurance denials can be sorted out is an effective way to avoid collections.
Many people think that a personal injury lawyer only assists with the legal aspects of the claim itself. At Doar Drill and Skow, we pride ourselves on assisting the client from the very beginning, in all the practical ways they need assistance with, such as handling medical bills. If you were injured in an accident, call Doar Drill and SKow today for a free consultation.