As in most questions involving accidents and injuries, the answer depends based upon the State where the accident happened. Of course, laws differ from state to state.
Many people who are injured in an accident think that the at-fault party pays for the medical bills. They get treatment, wait for the at-fault party’s insurance company to pay the bills, which usually does not happen. Then, the injured victim receives a letter from a collection agency, and now, not only does the person have injuries to deal with, but a botched credit record as well.
We tell our clients that, after a vehicular accident (including car v. pedestrian, car v. bicycle…), there are usually three sources to pay medical bills, your own health insurance, your own automobile insurance (under the medical payment provision), and your own wallet. Of course, people sometimes don’t like to hear that their own insurance should pay the bills or that they might have to pay some bills out of pocket.
An injury lawyer will attempt to get you and your insurance companies paid back. However, this will likely not happen until the time of settlement, which could be months or even years after the date of the accident. Regardless, it is wise to make sure medical bills are paid to the fullest extent possible along the way, even if you don’t approve of who is paying them.