If you have been injured in a car accident, you’re probably feeling some distress over the mounting medical bills. Even if you have health insurance, the deductible and co-payments can cost you thousands of dollars. However, you may have an asset you haven’t even considered: the medical payments coverage under your own auto insurance policy. Commonly called med pay, this is optional coverage you may have purchased when you first bought your policy. Coverage amounts start at around $1,000, but yours could be $5,000 or higher. You may file a med pay claim if:

  • You or an eligible family member was injured while occupying your car or, with certain exclusions, any automobile.
  • You or an eligible family member was injured as a pedestrian by a motor vehicle.

You can file for med pay benefits for any reasonable and necessary treatment for an injury that results from the accident. And since med pay is a no-fault benefit, you can file a claim even if you caused the accident.

Auto insurance follows the vehicle. Therefore, if you were injured while riding in a vehicle that has med pay coverage, you can file a claim on that policy. Likewise, anyone injured while occupying your car can file a claim under your policy.

The Law Offices of Brian deBrun, PLLC advises clients to carry med pay insurance. The cost is low, but the benefits are important given the high cost of medical care and the number of uninsured drivers on the road today. If you haven’t been in an accident, review your auto policy to see if you have med pay. We recommend that motorists have at least enough coverage to offset their health insurance deductible.

If you’ve been injured in an accident, check your auto insurance policy to see if you have med pay coverage. If the company denies your claim, we can help you access those benefits as part of the overall management of your accident case.

Your insurance only pays up to the limit of your policy and may not cover the entirety of your medical bills. You also cannot claim lost wages or pain and suffering through med pay. To recover for these losses, you must file a claim against the at-fault driver. For help, call the Law Offices of Brian deBrun, PLLCat [ln::phone] or contact our office online.