In our Kansas City MO personal injury law practice, we frequently have clients who experience a great deal of stress after being injured in a car accident--understandably so. One of the main issues these clients are worried about is how they will pay their doctor and hospital bills. Even a short stay in the hospital can add up to bills in the tens of thousands.
Clients worry that they will be refused treatment if they have no insurance. They are afraid their credit will be ruined by past due bills. If they cannot work, they worry that they might even lose their house or not have enough money to feed their families. And worst of all, they worry that they might never be able to collect the compensation they deserve for their bills, injuries and suffering. Worry about expenses is an unfortunate burden to bear on top of the injuries these victims have already suffered.
These anxieties are not completely unfounded. In many car accident claims, the victim will have to pay out of pocket or seek other financial options while waiting for a settlement from the insurance company. Injury claims are not as cut and dried as vehicle damage claims. This is because unlike a car, a person's injuries can worsen, and it can take time to determine how serious they are, and what the short and sometimes long term costs will be.
This situation can put an injured victim between the proverbial rock and a hard place: you need a settlement as quickly as possible, but it's a known fact that the first offer an insurance company makes is likely to be very low--and less than you need.