Who Will Pay My Medical Bills In An Oregon Car Accident?

If you were in an Oregon car accident, you probably want to know who will pay for your medical bills. As your automobile accident lawyer will tell you, the first place to look to pay medical bills is your car insurance policy.

If the policy was issued in Oregon, it’s required to have PIP or personal injury protection coverage. This is a no-fault medical benefit that covers some of your medical expenses up to coverage limits. There also is a two-year limit from the date of the crash.

PIP is often enough to cover the first $5000 or $10,000 in medical bills if you pay for that much. However, there are car crashes with serious injuries where $5000 won’t even cover the first night in the hospital.

In this situation, your attorney may look to your personal healthcare plan to cover more expenses. The hospital may decide not to file with the healthcare plan. Instead, they will place a lien on the case.

This means that additional expenses will be paid out of your settlement or verdict amount. If that happens, your automobile accident lawyer will work with the hospital to negotiate a lower payment. A good attorney can often get a big discount on the billed amount.

If a car accident claim is resolved through settlement or trial, you will need to pay back the medical expenses that your insurers covered. That is because, in Oregon, you need to pay back insurance policies for any medical bills they paid.

Your attorney will work with the insurance companies to ensure they are paid what they’re owed from your settlement.

Also, your attorney can file a personal injury lawsuit against the other driver and their insurance company if there are still medical bills to pay. You also can receive compensation for your pain and suffering and lost income.

Now that you know more about how medical bills are paid in an Oregon car accident, you should be more confident in the next steps if it ever happens to you. 

How To Avoid Car Accidents In Fog

Many car accidents are sudden, but if you see fog, you should know the chances of an accident are higher. That’s why you should take essential steps when you see fog on the road to avoid a crash.

If you are involved in a crash in foggy weather, talk to the best auto accident attorney today to learn if you can receive compensation.

Use Caution Early In The Morning And At Night: Fog usually happens in the early morning and at night. These are low-visibility times that you should be aware of. So, make sure you slow down during these times and be sure to really slow down if you see the fog rolling in.

Never Tailgate: Fog can be dense, so much so that it can be hard to see 10 feet in front of you at its worsts. This is a reason to always avoid tailgating.

The problem is with fog is there could be many accidents right ahead of you and it’s impossible to see them.

When you see fog coming, allow more room for the next car in front of you.

Use Technology and Vehicle Equipment: Cars and trucks today have many things installed in them to operate the car safely during fog and other hazardous conditions. For example, you should use your windshield defroster, windshield wipers, and low beams to increase your visibility when there is fog present.

While you might think high beams help you see in fog better, all they do is reduce visibility by reflecting light from the water droplets in fog. This may decrease your visibility even more.

Watch The Road: Some drivers focus too much on other cars’ headlights in fog. It’s best to concentrate only on the road and slow down. Also, fog is the worst time to multitask behind the wheel.

So, put down the cell phone, makeup, food, and drink, and concentrate on driving safely during fog.

Pull Off The Road: One of the best pieces of advice during fog is to pull off the road in a safe place. There is no reason to continue driving if it is dangerous to do so.

You should simply slow down and pull over as soon as you see a parking lot, exit, or rest stop.

Driving in fog is one of the most dangerous conditions in which you can be. If you slow down, turn on your low beams, and use extra caution, you can probably get to a safe place and wait for the fog to pass.

Remember that fog usually begins to burn off when the sun gets higher in the sky. So, it may be necessary to wait until daylight and it gets warmer before you keep going.

If you are hurt in a car accident in foggy weather, talk to the best auto accident lawyer to find out if you can receive compensation for your injuries.