- Remsen Motorcycle Accident Injury Attorneys
- Phone: 641-792-3595
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A motorcycle accident in Remsen can leave a rider with serious injuries, mounting medical bills, and an insurance company that seems more interested in closing the file than helping with the recovery. Understanding whether you can really trust the insurance company, who should be paying your medical bills while your claim is pending, and what your claim needs to succeed can help you protect both your health and your legal rights every step of the way.
Can You Trust the Insurance Company?
There are more than one hundred insurance companies selling policies in Iowa alone, covering everything from personal injury to workers' compensation. Paying a premium does not mean an insurance company is looking out for you. Many people assume that if they are injured, their own insurer will pursue the at-fault party on their behalf, but that is simply not true. While your insurer may try to recover what it paid for property damage, it is highly unlikely to pursue a claim for your personal injuries.
- The insurance company is not representing you or your best interests
- They are not required to tell you the truth
- Insurance companies aim to pay claimants as little as possible
- An adjuster may seem friendly, but they are not looking out for you
- Insurance companies sell insurance because they do not like paying claims
Tips for Dealing With an Insurance Company
Always tell the truth, since anything you say can be used against you, and even a small inconsistency can damage your credibility. Keep documentation of your damages, including a diary describing how you are feeling, doctors' excuses for missed work, and any medical bills or explanation of benefits forms from your health insurer. Be thorough at every medical appointment, since your records will describe your injuries and complaints and will shape how the insurance company evaluates your claim, and attend your appointments regularly, since failing to see a doctor consistently can be treated as evidence that you have fully recovered.
This advice applies whether you are dealing with a minor injury or a serious one, since insurance companies use the same playbook regardless of how badly a rider was actually hurt.
An insurance adjuster is not on your side, even when they seem friendly. Our motorcycle accident attorneys can handle that communication for Remsen riders.
Who Should Pay Your Medical Bills?
Rarely will the at-fault driver's insurance company pay your medical bills as they are incurred, even when liability is obvious. Insurance companies typically only make payments at the time of a final settlement, in exchange for a release. Because of that delay, it is generally best to look toward other sources to cover your treatment in the meantime.
- Your own health insurance through an employer benefits package
- Health insurance you carry personally
- Coverage obtained through a spouse or, if you are a dependent, through your parents
- Medical payments coverage under your own auto policy, if applicable to your situation
- HealthCare.gov marketplace coverage or Medicaid if you are currently uninsured
- Personal funds if no insurance coverage is available
Telling your medical providers to bill your own health insurance, rather than waiting on the at-fault driver to pay, keeps your care moving forward without unnecessary delay. Any reimbursement owed to your insurer, or additional compensation owed to you, can typically be addressed later through a claim or settlement. Keep in mind that most health insurance policies include a subrogation provision, meaning the insurer will expect reimbursement if you later recover money for the same medical bills from the at-fault driver's insurance company.
If you do not have health insurance, you may have to wait on a settlement to pay outstanding bills, which can take months. Our office can also help facilitate an assignment so that a medical provider is paid directly out of a settlement or verdict, which often satisfies the provider and prevents them from pursuing collection against you directly.
Sorting out who ultimately pays for your care becomes especially important after a motorcycle accident, where injuries can be more severe than a typical car accident and treatment can extend for months. Understanding your own available coverage early on, rather than assuming the at-fault driver's insurer will step in, protects both your credit and your ability to keep receiving the care you need.
What Your Motorcycle Accident Claim Needs
Regardless of who you choose to represent you, there are a few important things to keep in mind that can help you receive a fair settlement for your injuries after a Remsen motorcycle accident.
Tell Your Doctor Everything That Hurts
One of the most critical pieces of evidence is how you feel and how your injuries have affected your ability to function daily. Your doctor is required to keep accurate records of your medical history and care, including your description of how you were injured, your physical complaints, the doctor's findings, and your treatment. Insurance companies base their offers on this information. If you fail to tell your doctor everything that hurts, it will not be treated properly and no one will know about it. If you first complain about a problem weeks or months after your accident, the insurance company will claim it was unrelated and reduce their offer.
Follow Your Doctor's Orders
If your doctor recommends therapy several times a week but you only attend once, you will damage your claim. The insurance company will argue that you could not have been truly injured, or you would have followed your doctor's recommendations, and will reduce their offer accordingly.
This is one of the more frustrating realities of an injury claim, since even a rider who is genuinely hurt can see their case undermined simply by missing appointments during a busy or difficult stretch of recovery.
Keep a Diary and Document Missed Work
Few people think to write down how they felt after an injury, but a diary helps provide an accurate account of your injuries and how they affected your ability to function day to day, which can support a higher evaluation of your claim. It is also important to keep documentation of missed work, including doctors' excuses and time missed for appointments.
This kind of ongoing documentation matters even after the initial pain from a motorcycle accident subsides, since a claim is often evaluated based on the full timeline of your recovery, not just the first few weeks after the crash.
Be Careful What You Say
The insurance company and their lawyers will use anything and everything you tell them against you, so it is important to never lie, since even a small inconsistency can ruin your credibility. The best policy is to always tell the truth.
These same principles apply whether your claim is being handled by your own insurer or the at-fault driver's, and they matter just as much in a straightforward case as in one involving a more serious injury. A Remsen rider who follows these basics from the start puts themselves in a much better position when it comes time to negotiate a settlement.
How a Remsen Motorcycle Attorney Can Help
Whether you are dealing with an insurance company that is not looking out for you, trying to figure out who should be paying your medical bills, or making sure your claim reflects the full extent of your injuries, an experienced attorney can help protect your rights every step of the way, from the first phone call through final resolution of your case. From documenting your treatment properly to negotiating with the insurance company, the right legal guidance can make a meaningful difference in your recovery.
Motorcycle accidents often leave riders dealing with more than a single visible injury, and the insurance company handling the claim is unlikely to volunteer information that would increase what it has to pay. A Remsen rider who understands these realities from the start, keeps thorough records, and knows what a strong claim actually requires is in a much better position to receive fair compensation.
Consulting a Remsen Motorcycle Accident Attorney
The toll from severe motorcycle injuries can encompass substantial medical expenses and long-term care costs for victims and their families. Lost wages may compound matters, especially if employment becomes unrealistic for an extended period. Getting help from a motorcycle accident attorney allows the pursuit of comprehensive compensation, from financial damages and emotional distress such as pain and suffering.
Victims of these accidents should seek consultation with a motorcycle accident attorney, as damages may be extensive and recovery of compensation is important.
At Walker, Billingsley & Bair, our motorcycle accident attorneys can represent you in dealings with your insurance company, or when filing a personal injury claim. Set up your consultation now by calling 641-792-3595.