When you have sustained injuries in an accident, one of the most vital things you need to do is seek appropriate medical care. Aside from safety purposes, you could likewise claim medical bills if you decide to file a personal injury claim as part of your damage awards.
Typically, this will include all reasonable and necessary expenses you incurred due to the accident. Additionally, you could likewise claim medical treatment costs even if the insurer of the defendant or your own insurance provider paid for some of the treatment costs.
Common Examples of Medical Bills You Can Claim in a Personal Injury Claim
Expenses related to medical treatment are categorized as compensatory damages used for compensating injured parties for losses they sustained. You can essentially claim any form of costs associated with your medical treatment due to injuries.
With this in mind, seeking help from a personal injury lawyer in Chicago will be very beneficial for various aspects of your claim. You can just imagine how costly this can get, especially if you require extensive and ongoing treatment.
Because of this, it’s immensely vital that you document your injuries and treatment costs. This is so you have the necessary evidence to support the personal injury claim you’re planning to file. That said, below are some common medical costs that are claimed in personal injury cases:
- Doctors’ bills
- Hospital bills
- PT or physical therapy bills
- Surgery costs
- Lab testing fees
- Prescription medication costs
- Treatment for pain management
You should likewise know that you could claim future expenses related to medical care in your personal injury claim. You only have to prove that these expenses are connected directly to the injuries you initially sustained. For instance, let’s say that you suffered a TBI or traumatic brain injury in an auto accident.
If you have yet to have surgery when your trial began, you can claim the planned operation as a future medical treatment expense.
Proving Medical Bills in a Trial
To prove the validity of medical bills during a trial, you’ll have to show all medical bills to support your claim. You will likewise require statements from your treating physician and medical experts to support how reasonable and justifiable the amount you’re claiming is.
You might also need to obtain help from medical witnesses to support your claim that all your expenses went into your medical treatment. Your lawyer will assist you in calculating your medical costs and help you in obtaining all the paperwork required to build your case.
They can also discuss your claim with your doctors and look for relevant medical experts that will support your claim at trial if it comes to that.
Take note that even if the individual or entity who was responsible for your injuries is evidently at fault, under the law, they’re not required to pay for your treatment costs on a continuing basis. However, once the defendant has been found guilty in court, the defendant should pay for your medical bills.
This is a huge part of the personal injury damages you can claim. Meanwhile, you will need to pay medical treatment yourself.
