Having the right auto insurance coverage can go a long way toward protecting you in the event of an accident. According to Georgia law, drivers must have liability coverage that meets the minimum limits, including a minimum of $25,000 in bodily injury protection coverage per individual and $50,000 in bodily injury protection per accident as well as a minimum of $25,000 in property damage protection. Minimum insurance coverage, however, typically provides no protection for the driver that causes an accident. Many drivers choose to carry additional insurance coverage that can help provide more protection in the event of an accident, including MedPay coverage.
What is Georgia MedPay Coverage?
Georgia MedPay coverage offers coverage for medical payments you may face after an accident, regardless of who caused the accident. MedPay coverage is not required in Georgia, but many Georgia drivers do choose to add MedPay coverage to their insurance policies in an effort to ensure that they have much-needed coverage in the event of an accident.
What Does MedPay Coverage Cover?
MedPay coverage, also known as medical payments coverage, covers the cost of medical treatments after any type of car accident. When you have MedPay coverage, it does not matter who caused the accident. You can use it to cover the cost of any medical care needs associated with your accident, including:
- Ambulance transport
- Emergency treatment, including care in the emergency room
- Long-term treatment for your injuries, including hospitalization
- Surgeries and procedures needed to treat your injuries
- Durable medical equipment
- In-home or out-of-home care related to your medical needs
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy for serious injuries
Check your coverage to learn more about what specific treatments you may have the right to claim. MedPay coverage may have a deductible amount that you must meet before you can receive coverage for your injuries.
In general, Georgia MedPay insurance will cover the cost of treatment for the person who holds the MedPay policy and any passengers in the covered vehicle at the time of the accident. MedPay coverage may also cover treatment for someone who drives the vehicle with the permission of the owner.
When Does MedPay Deny Coverage?
Georgia MedPay insurance will generally provide assistance with the cost of medical care after an accident. However, in some cases, MedPay may not provide coverage for all your costs. Your insurance company may deny coverage if:
The insurance company deems treatment unnecessary.
In general, you cannot use MedPay coverage for medical treatment that the insurance company does not consider necessary. The insurance company will typically cover the medical care needed to help you recover from your injuries, but may not cover optional treatment. Furthermore, the company may not offer coverage for any treatment that it considers non-essential, including things like chiropractic treatment.
You require treatment for injuries not received during a car accident.
MedPay coverage is designed to provide coverage for car accident injuries. It may not provide coverage for all injuries you may receive. If you have a preexisting condition, or you need treatment for injuries that occurred at another time, your MedPay insurance may not provide coverage.
The insurance company finds that you did not suffer injuries in the accident.
Sometimes, people may try to use MedPay coverage to cover the cost of medical procedures that they want to have for another reason, but that may not have anything to do with the accident. They may even have walked away from the accident without injuries, but want to get another medical procedure covered. If the insurance company finds that the covered individual did not suffer injuries in the accident, the insurance company may deny payment.
The cost of treatment exceeds the protection offered by your MedPay coverage.
When you select your MedPay policy, you will determine how much coverage you want to have in the event of an accident. A policy that offers a higher degree of coverage will, in general, be more expensive than a policy that offers moderate coverage in the event of an accident, so many people opt for lower-level coverage that will still provide some protection. However, the cost of treatment for severe injuries may exceed the protection offered by your MedPay coverage, leaving you liable for any further damages or treatments.
How Does MedPay Coverage Impact Your Right to an Injury Claim?
After a car accident caused by the negligence of another party, you may have the right to file an injury claim that will allow you to seek compensation for any costs you experienced due to the other party’s negligence. The compensation you can recover will generally depend on the limits of the insurance policy as well as the specific injuries you may have sustained and the challenges you may have faced during the recovery process.
If you have MedPay coverage, you will generally use that policy first, before you pursue compensation through the other driver’s insurance company. Your MedPay coverage will cover the immediate cost of medical treatment after the accident, without you needing to go through the complicated claim process and wait for the other party’s insurance company to provide reimbursement. MedPay coverage does not prevent you from filing an injury claim if your medical needs exceed the coverage offered by your policy. Furthermore, you can still file a claim for compensation for any property damage associated with the accident.
When Do You Need a Lawyer to Help with a Medical Payments Claim?
You may need a car accident lawyer to help with your medical payments claim under several circumstances.
- You do not know how much coverage you may have for medical treatments, based on the terms of your policy, and you want a lawyer to review the policy and make sure you can maximize that coverage.
- You need to file a claim against the other driver’s insurance, especially if the cost of your medical treatments exceeds the protection offered by your MedPay policy.
- The insurance company denies coverage for any treatment you need for injuries sustained in a car accident.
At Cambre & Associates, we help our clients determine what compensation they deserve, whether they need to file a claim through their own insurance policies or through the liable driver’s. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help.