Legal Practitioner Examines: Does Health Insurance Cover Motorcycle Accident Injuries in Norwalk?
If you're a motorcycle accident victim in Norwalk, CT, the days, weeks, and months after the incident can be extremely overwhelming. Many victims may be uncertain about how to cover medical treatments, particularly while waiting for a payout from their car insurance provider. In such situations, some individuals opt to put their accident expenses on their health insurance for simplicity's sake.
The Law Offices of James A. Welcome, a reputable personal injury lawyer in Norwalk, provides answers to crucial questions like "Does health insurance cover motorcycle accident injuries?" and related inquiries in the article below. Their expertise extends to advising on the most appropriate methods for claiming expenses—whether through health insurance, auto insurance, or another suitable avenue.
Does Health Insurance Cover Motorcycle Accident Injuries?
In general, health insurance does cover many motorcycle accident injuries. However, everyone's health insurance coverage is different, and the exact policy determines the level of coverage an accident victim can benefit from.
Typical health insurance plans may cover the following expenses after a motorcycle crash:
- Medical examinations
- X-rays
- Prescription medications
- Hospital stays
- Rehabilitative therapy
Health insurance does have coverage limits, so victims can only cover expenses up to those limits. Accident victims who are thinking of using health insurance to cover motorcycle accident injuries should consult their health insurance company to learn more about their specific coverage and policy details.
What Health Insurance Won't Cover
Health insurance doesn't cover all of the costs involved in motorcycle accident injuries. Usually, health insurance won't cover the following:
- Deductible and copay: Policyholders typically need to meet a certain deductible before their insurance coverage kicks in. Health insurance deductibles average around $1,763 per year. Victims also need to pay co-pays on insurance claims, which typically range between $15 and $100.
- Non-medical costs: Health insurance won't cover non-medical expenses, such as property damage and rental cars.
- Pain and suffering: Motorcycle accidents can be emotionally taxing, but health insurance won't provide a payout for pain and suffering like a personal injury lawsuit would. Many health insurance plans don't even cover mental health counseling.
- Loss of income: Health insurance also doesn't help make up for the income victims lose during their recovery.
Claiming Expenses on Health Insurance vs. Auto Insurance
So, does health insurance cover motorcycle accident injuries? Some, but it isn't comprehensive. Claiming medical expenses on health insurance could also take away from a victim's accident payout from the at-fault party. They'll still need to pay their deductible and copays for those expenses as well.
Before putting any expenses on health insurance, victims should consult a personal injury lawyer about the right compensation method. If another party was responsible for the accident, they should also be responsible for covering the victim's expenses.
With the help of a motorcycle accident attorney, accident victims can seek compensation from the at-fault party to cover all of the following expenses:
- Medical bills
- Property damage
- Time off work
- Loss of ability to work
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
Accident victims can even seek a medical lien if necessary. This would cover medical treatments before the victim has secured compensation from the at-fault party, as the compensation would retroactively cover treatments.
Victims may use an auto insurance claim, a lawsuit, or both to maximize compensation. But simply claiming medical expenses on their health insurance policy and covering the rest out of pocket isn't the way to go after a not-at-fault motorcycle accident.
The Law Offices of James A. Welcome: Motorcycle Accident Attorneys
Does health insurance cover motorcycle accident injuries? While the answer is "yes" in some cases, that doesn't mean victims should use their health insurance to pay for their medical expenses. Motorcycle accident victims should contact The Law Offices of James A. Welcome, a seasoned personal injury law firm, for assistance. For more information, you can explore our FAQs about injury cases or call 475-889-7046 to request a consultation.
