If you’ve been hurt in a motorcycle crash in Virginia, you’re probably beginning to see the medical bills come in and the medical costs piling up. Small injuries are rare in motorcycle crashes because of the lack of protection that motorcycle riders have. You’re probably starting to wonder “who is going to pay all of these bills?” If your first thought is that the insurance company for the negligent driver should be paying them as they come in, you’re in for a surprise.

The other driver’s auto insurance company is only ever going to write you one check. In exchange for that check, the car insurance company is going to ask you to sign a release that says that the check you’re receiving is a “full and final settlement” and that you can never come back to the insurance company or the driver and ask for more money.

Who pays my bills and co-pays for doctors visits?

If you have health insurance, the health insurance company should be paying the bills as they come in. However, you need to be aware that the doctor or chiropractor you are seeing for physical therapy sessions might not be in network with your company. It’s important to ask your physician whether they accept (and are willing to bill) your health insurance company before you start treating with them. This is not something that you want to find out after you have incurred several thousand dollars of medical bills.

You also need to be aware that while most health insurance policies in Virginia do not have a lien on your personal injury case or a right of subrogation, some do. This means that you might end up in a position where you owe money back to your health insurance company after you settle your car accident case. You are particularly at risk for this if you work for a governmental body or for the armed services (or if you do not live or work in Virginia). It is not safe to assume that just because you haven’t received notice of a lien that you won’t owe anything back. You will want your personal injury attorney to look into the particulars of your health insurance plan.

Who pays my motorcycle accident bills if I don’t have health insurance?

If you don’t have health insurance, the next place to look is at your own motorcycle insurance policy. You might have medical expense payments benefits that are available to you. MedPay is an form of optional coverage on Virginia policies (it can be called PIP or “personal injury protection” on out of state policies). Essentially, it is a supplement form of health insurance that pays for your medical bills and co-pays as they are incurred. On Virginia policies, you do not have to repay the MedPay money after settling your motorcycle crash case, but if you have an out of state policy, you certainly want to check wtih your attorney.

What do I do if I don’t have either health insurance or MedPay?

If you’ve been hit while on your motorcycle and don’t have health insurance or MedPay, you may be able to work out an assignment of benefits with your healthcare provider. This means that you and your attorney will sign a document saying that the doctor will be paid for their treatment before any money from the settlement is released to you.

What about the driver that hit me? Shouldn’t his insurance company be paying??

Well yes, of course your personal injury lawyer is going to make a demand at the end of the case on the other driver’s insurance company to settle the case. But you want to make sure that before you get to that point, your medical bills from the motorcycle crash are not going into collections and that you’re not being sued for them.