Health insurance is one of the most important tools for people who are sick or injured to get the healthcare they need at a price they can afford. If you fall ill through no fault of your own or suffer injuries in an accident, your health insurance will usually be there to cover some of the costs of treatment. However, there are many additional costs that your medical insurance will not cover after a motorcycle accident or another auto accident. In many cases, you will ultimately need to file an auto insurance claim or a lawsuit to get the damages covered in full. Fayetteville, AR motorcycle accident lawyer Ken Kieklak explains.
Can My Health Insurance Cover My Motorcycle Accident Injuries in Arkansas?
If you were injured in an accident and go to the hospital, they will treat your injuries in most cases. However, they will also bill you for those injuries. When you need medical treatment, having health insurance is essential in getting you the coverage you need and paying for much of the care costs. However, even with medical insurance, your bills could be very high after a motorcycle accident, especially if you suffered catastrophic injuries like traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, paralysis, or amputation.
If your accident was caused by someone else, there is no reason that you should be forced to pay for the medical bills out of pocket nor through insurance copays.
What Damages Won’t My Health Insurance Cover after an Arkansas Motorcycle Accident?
As the name suggests, medical insurance/health insurance only covers medical bills and healthcare costs. However, a motorcycle accident causes many other types of damages that you might need compensated. While health insurance is one way to pay for some medical bills, the other damages will usually need to be paid through a car insurance claim or a lawsuit, including the following damages:
Pain and Suffering
Having the cost of some medical bills covered does nothing to compensate you for the horrible pain and mental suffering you experienced because of the crash. If someone else hurt you in an accident, they should be made to compensate you for your pain and suffering. Even most auto insurance policies will not cover these damages, and the best way to have your pain and suffering covered after a motorcycle crash is to file a motorcycle accident lawsuit.
Lost Wages
If you missed work because of your injuries, you cannot get those wages paid for through your health insurance. Most auto insurance policies work to cover at least a portion of lost wages, and you might be able to make claims through disability to cover serious, long-term injuries. However, filing a lawsuit against the at-fault driver can usually help you claim the full cost of any wages you missed because of the accident. This means covering the paychecks you missed while you were recovering from your injuries in the hospital as well as the ongoing lost wages you will miss if the injury kept you from returning to your old job. If you took a lower-paying job to cope with reduced physical abilities, you could even claim damages for the reduced earning capacity in a lawsuit.
Property Damage
When you’re involved in a motorcycle accident, your motorcycle is probably going to face significant damage. Your health insurance will pay to treat your injuries, but it won’t pay to cover the cost of repairing your motorcycle. It also won’t pay for the cost of a cell phone that was smashed during the crash, eyeglasses that shattered during the accident, or clothing and gear that was damaged or destroyed by the crash. These costs can all be claimed though an auto insurance claim or a lawsuit instead.
What’s Covered by Health Insurance and Medpay/PIP Coverage in an Arkansas Motorcycle Accident?
Many people might be confused about what exactly their medical insurance covers as compared to what their auto insurance’s “medical” coverage is for. Health insurance or medical insurance is insurance that you carry throughout your life to cover the cost of medical treatment at a hospital or doctor’s office. This is different from the medical portion of your auto insurance or motorcycle insurance – sometimes called “medpay” or “personal injury protection.” These forms of coverage are part of your auto insurance, and they cover injuries you suffer in case of an auto accident. However, there are caveats and limitations on this coverage.
Most of these “first-party benefits” from your auto insurance will cover your injuries regardless of who was at fault in the accident, but the coverage given will depend on your insurance policy. Most policies cover only a portion of your healthcare needs, potentially allowing you to supplement the rest of the care with your own health insurance. Additionally, these benefits usually do not cover things like lost wages, pain and suffering, and property damage. Some of those damages could be covered by other parts of your auto insurance, but Arkansas is an at-fault insurance state, so those damages are usually paid by the at-fault driver’s insurance.
If you have trouble claiming damages through your insurance company, you might need to turn to a lawsuit to cover your damages in full. While insurance has its purposes, the damages you face in a serious motorcycle accident might be too high to cover with these payments. Talk to a lawyer about filing a lawsuit against the at-fault driver and claiming damages in full.
Call Our Fayetteville Motorcycle Accident Lawyer for a Free Case Consultation
If you were injured in a motorcycle accident in Arkansas, call Ken Kieklak, Attorney at Law. Our Fayetteville AR personal injury attorney can help you determine what damages are covered by insurance and how to best get coverage for your injuries and other damages. Do not accept money from any insurance companies before talking with a lawyer. Call us today at (479) 316-0438 to set up a free legal consultation on your potential case.