After an individual gets into a car accident in NC they typically have numerous questions about what to do next. If the car accident occurred in Charlotte, NC people might wonder if they should go to Carolinas Medical Center (CMC) or Presbyterian Hospital or whether they should follow up with their own doctor. A recurrent question posed to our Charlotte personal injury attorneys deals with the interplay between their personal health insurance and the car “liability” insurance.
Question
After being in a car accident in NC should I use my health insurance?
ANSWER
After being injured in a NC car accident most people’s foremost concern is getting the best medical care available. Hospital emergency rooms including Carolinas Medical Center (CMC), Presbyterian, Union Regional Medical Center, North East Medical Center, and Gaston Memorial are required under federal and state law to treat individuals regardless of their ability to pay. Under most circumstances health insurance (or payment upfront) is necessary to see private physicians including general practitioners, orthopedics and neurosurgeons. This holds true even if the NC car accident wasn’t your fault (NC differs from many states that have PIP or no fault coverage). However, any payments made to the health care provider by an individual’s health insurance would come under the purview of North Carolina’s collateral source rule, which benefits the injured party The individual needs to keep in mind that their specific health insurance policy may subrogate and thus they should read their policy or have a Charlotte personal injury lawyer of Rosensteel Fleishman review it. As such, while it is always the individual’s decision our Charlotte personal injury attorneys counsel our clients to use their health insurance after being involved in a NC auto accident.
Call (704) 714-1450 to make an appointment to speak with a NC personal injury attorney, or stop by the office during regular business hours. We understand that the last thing you need to do at this time is miss a doctor’s appointment or more time from work. We will schedule an appointment that meets your needs.
