Car accidents always seem to happen at the worst time. They are usually a frightening and painful experience emotionally and physically. If an unfortunate event like this occurs, the details that you have to deal with after the accident can be difficult because it all happens so fast. There are a few basic things that you should do immediately following a car accident.

• The first is to notify authorities. That will usually be the police. If you experience any pain, seek medical attention as soon as possible.
• It is also important to get insurance information and contact information from the other driver.
• If you do go to a hospital or see a doctor, it is important to know who is paying the bills.

After representing people involved in car accidents, this is one of the main reasons I felt like I needed to share this information.

Most people think the other, at-fault driver’s insurance company, will automatically pay for their medical treatment. This is not true. Insurance companies usually put up a fight, and offer you a small amount of money that will not cover all of your possible medical bills. Even if they are responsive, they will usually not pay until your medical treatment concludes, which could be months. In the meantime, the medical providers are stuck with medical bills that are not paid and you are ultimately responsible. This means those bills could end up in collections.

To avoid this:

Make sure the hospital or doctor’s office bill your health insurance. If you have something called medical payment coverage as a part of your own car insurance, this may kick in as well, but you have to be proactive. Every time you visit your doctor or the hospital, make sure they have your health insurance information and they are actually billing your health insurance. If you don’t do this initially, your insurance company may then reject any payment on a bill that was not submitted to them in a timely manner, at the time of your treatment. The at-fault driver’s insurance company does not care about you and usually will not pay unless they are forced to at some point by your attorney.

No one wants to be in a car accident and it’s a serious inconvenience, if not a truly painful experience. However, by using the information above, you can make sure that you receive proper medical care and have a head start on getting your bills paid.