Accidents happen, and when they involve massive vehicles like trucks, the consequences are often daunting. There’s the physical recovery, emotional distress, and last but certainly not least, escalating medical expenses. Understanding how to wade through the complexities of this latter issue is key to your recovery.
Smart Steps to Keep Your Finances in Order
Nobody wants to think about insurance, medical bills, and all of the other financial components that come with the frustrating aftermath of a truck accident. However, that’s just the reality of the situation. You can’t ignore it.
Here are some smart steps you can take to get things in order.
- Get Familiar With Your Insurance Coverage
In a truck accident, insurance is what will (hopefully) save you. Assuming it was the fault of the truck driver – which it usually is – the type of insurance that the trucking company carries will be extremely relevant to the situation. Your insurance policy will likely also come into play.
Take some time to review your own insurance policy to understand things like deductibles, out-of-pocket costs, what’s covered, what’s not covered, etc. Also, you’ll have to consider things like rental car allowances and other factors.
- Leverage Your MedPay
Medical Payments coverage, often referred to as MedPay, is supplementary coverage in your auto insurance policy. It’s designed to pay for medical expenses resulting from a motor vehicle accident, regardless of who’s at fault. MedPay can be incredibly helpful following a truck accident as it covers immediate out-of-pocket medical expenses such as ambulance fees, hospital visits, surgeries, and sometimes, even funeral costs.
To claim MedPay, you’ll typically need to submit your medical bills to your insurance provider. It’s advisable to notify your insurer about your accident and intent to claim as soon as possible. Once your insurer receives your bills, they should pay the medical expenses up to the limit of your MedPay coverage.
MedPay can be thought of as a lifeline of sorts. It can be extremely helpful in precarious situations. However, there are some pitfalls that you’ll want to avoid.
For starters, don’t forget to claim MedPay just because you assume that the health insurance from the trucker’s insurance company will cover everything. It’s entirely likely that they either won’t cover certain expenses or that the expenses will exceed their limits. MedPay is able to fill those gaps.
Secondly, make sure you keep extremely meticulous records of all medical bills and expenses. This is crucial if you want a smooth claim process. Missing bills or records can create huge headaches as it relates to paperwork and negotiations.
- Hire a Good Truck Accident Attorney
Don’t try to deal with a truck accident claim by yourself. You have enough going on as it is – especially with trying to physically and emotionally recover. If you are wanting to pursue a claim, then you could hire a law firm that specialise in truck accident cases, as this will allow you to heal without having to stress over the legal and financial complications associated with the case.
As Hancock Injury Attorneys explains, “You are not obligated to work with an attorney to file an accident claim after being injured in a truck accident, but there are many ways an experienced personal injury attorney can greatly benefit you in your physical and financial recovery.”
When searching for an injury attorney, keep an eye out for lawyers experienced with truck accidents (not just standard car accidents or personal injury cases). You want someone who deals with these cases all of the time.
- Know How to Negotiate With Insurance Adjusters
After reporting a truck accident, you’ll likely be contacted by an insurance adjuster. This is the individual who investigates the details of the accident, determines who is at fault, and evaluates how much the insurance company should pay for damages. Remember, adjusters work for the insurance company, and their primary goal is to save the company money.
Ask your lawyer for advice on how to deal with adjusters. They’ll likely want to be with you when you communicate with them (or may even communicate with adjusters on your behalf). And there’s a good reason for this: adjusters are notorious low-ballers. They start with an extremely low offer and try to convince you that you need to accept it. They’ll use pressure tactics and other tricks to prevent you from getting what you’re owed. An attorney, however, understands all of their tactics and will help you maximize your compensation.
Take Charge of Your Finances on the Road to Recovery
It’s up to you to proactively address your finances after a truck accident. Nobody else is going to do it for you. From leveraging insurance and MedPay to hiring a good truck accident attorney, and negotiating with adjusters, there’s a lot to do. Take things one step at a time and focus on making progress.
Small steps will eventually pave the way for progress.
