300+ Google Reviews
After accidents that cause serious injuries, medical bills are usually one of the most significant financial burdens that many victims face. The injured individual and their family can quickly become overwhelmed by a number of different medical expenses. The need for continuing treatment usually means that these medical bills will only continue to accumulate.
Medical bills are typically one of the easier damages to calculate because most victims have copies of the bills to justify the damages sought. However, estimates relating to future care can be more complicated to determine. Victims need to work with an experienced Rock Hill personal injury lawyer in order to recover all of the compensation they need and deserve for current and future medical expenses.
If you or a loved one suffered severe injuries in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence in Rock Hill, act quickly to retain legal counsel. Contact the law firm of Schiller & Hamilton as soon as possible.
Our firm has extensive experience helping all kinds of injury victims pursue the compensation they need for past, present, and future medical expenses related to accidents. Call us or contact us online to set up a free consultation.
What Are Medical Expenses in a Rock Hill Injury Case?
Victims can incur a wide range of medical bills for treatment of the injuries they suffer in accidents that were someone else’s fault. In most cases, accident victims will have a wide range of expenses relating to the care they received immediately after the incident.
In addition to any hospital or ambulance bills, there may also be bills for prescription medications, emergency room care, diagnostic testing, and many other medical services. If the initial care was sought from a health care provider other than a person’s primary care provider, there may be additional bills relating to follow-up treatment.
Some victims may require expensive medical equipment or, possibly, even home modifications for their medical needs. Others may have costs relating to pain management treatment or medical monitoring.
When an insurance company covers a person’s health care costs, the insurer may seek a portion of any settlement to recover health care expenses. This process, known as subrogation, allows an insurer to seek reimbursement of medical costs paid.
The Types of Costs Included in a Claim
Some victims will continue to face medical bills for other costs relating to their ongoing treatment. These medical bills may include laboratory fees or surgery costs, for example.
Certain cases might include the cost of MRIs, CT or CAT scans, and X-rays. Accident victims may face separate charges for specialists, such as chiropractors, and physical therapy costs.
You should always save copies of every bill you receive relating to your care following an accident. It can also be beneficial to keep receipts for necessary public transportation costs or records of personal vehicle mileage when traveling to receive medical care.
How Future Medical Costs are Determined?
Many accident victims will continue to need care and will incur additional medical expenses for several weeks, months, or even years after the accident. The costs of expected medical care are often some of the most hotly contested damages in most personal in injury actions.
Typically, a personal injury attorney will consult with a victim’s doctors as well as other medical professionals for assistance in calculating the expected lifetime medical costs involved. The estimates that are made usually need to account for several factors, including inflation and increases in medical costs over time.
Current and past medical bills are always easier to prove because there are copies of the actual bills. Future costs are much more of an estimate or projection. A victim will want to make sure that they have an attorney who can calculate an accurate estimate and pursue a settlement that provides for the entire lifetime of costs the victim will face.
How to Calculate a Settlement Offer
When you have a lawyer, they can immediately begin work to calculate a realistic value of your case. They can then enter negotiations with an insurance company to pursue a fair and full settlement.
Medical expenses often account for a sizable amount of the economic damages sought in most injury cases. An attorney can negotiate with an insurance company for a settlement that covers all of the costs a victim has incurred and will incur, but the lawyer may have to file a lawsuit when an insurance company refuses to provide adequate compensation.
How Are Medical-Related Costs Proven at Trial?
When a personal injury case does go to trial, the victim will need to prove their case by a preponderance of the evidence. Most negligence actions require plaintiffs to establish the same four elements:
- The defendant had a duty of care to a victim.
- The defendant breached that duty of care.
- The breach of duty caused the victim’s injuries.
- The victim’s injuries resulted in damages.
Copies of medical bills and other expenses relating to medical treatment are usually submitted as evidence in these cases. When the costs of subsequent medical care have been estimated, a victim could submit the statement of a qualified expert or medical care provider attesting to the estimated costs of care involved in the case.
Legal Help with Calculating Medical Expenses After an Injury in Rock Hill
Were you or your loved one seriously injured in an accident caused by another party’s negligence in Rock Hill? The skilled attorneys of Schiller & Hamilton are prepared to fight for you to recover all of the compensation you are entitled to.
Our firm has been helping people all over Rock Hill for more than two decades. You can have our lawyers review your case during a free consultation as soon as you call us or contact us online.