How do medical bills get paid if a car accident is your fault?

If a car accident is your fault, the manner in which medical bills will get paid can vary by state and on the type of insurance protections you have purchased:

• In some states- called fault states- depending on your coverage they are not going to get paid by any insurer that has to do with the car accident. In other words, if you were at fault, you're gong to have to either submit the bills to your medical insurer or you're going to have to pay them out of pocket. 
• If the state where you live is a fault state, you may have been given the opportunity to buy some type of optional medical protection coverage at the time when you bought insurance. If you did, then you can usually use this insurance to make a claim and collect the cost of your medical bills
• If the state where you live is one of the 12 no fault states, however, then you will have your medical bills covered- even if you were responsible for causing the accident. This coverage will come from a required policy, called personal injury protection or PIP, that all drivers have to carry. Not only will the PIP coverage pay for your medical bills in a fault state, but it will also pay for some or all of the lost wages that the injury causes you to incur.

Determining exactly how accident bills get paid is done on a case by case basis. If you have been in an accident and are concerned about how your bills are going to be paid, you should consult with a lawyer as soon as possible.