Medical Bills After a Truck Accident

Medical bills can be astronomical depending on the injuries, the needed treatment, and where the treatment’s provided, no matter what kinds of vehicles are involved. Because trucks are heavier and deliver more force into another vehicle or pedestrian, injuries are likely to be more severe and costly to treat.

What Types of Injuries May I Suffer After a Truck Accident?

Many potential injuries can result after a truck accident, including:

Head injuries, such as concussions or traumatic brain injuries
Neck and back injuries, such as whiplash or herniated discs
Spinal cord injuries
Fractures or dislocations of bones
Soft tissue injuries, such as bruises or sprains
Internal injuries, such as organ damage or internal bleeding
Psychological injuries, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression

If you’re in an accident with a commercial truck, seek medical attention immediately, even if you think you’re unhurt. Because of the stress and shock of the situation, you may not feel all of your injuries, such as head injuries and internal injuries, but they can be severe and require prompt treatment. The more treatment’s delayed, the worse the injury may become.

Quickly getting medical care is also essential to protect your rights to compensation. The longer you delay, the more likely the insurance carrier will deny your injury is accident-related. They’ll claim you fabricated the injury, or it has another cause, and you’re fraudulently seeking compensation from them.

How Much Will Medical Treatment Cost?

The cost of treating your injuries can vary widely depending on their type and severity, where you’re treated, and the treatments you receive. The cost may be relatively inexpensive for minor injuries, such as bruises or sprains.

Moderate to severe injuries, such as head, neck, back, internal, or spinal injuries, can be much more expensive to treat. They may require hospitalization, surgery, physical therapy, rehabilitation, and long-term care. The costs can quickly add up and may include:

Emergency room visit: $1,500 – $3,000
Hospitalization: $10,000 – $50,000 or more
Surgery: $20,000 – $100,000 or more
Rehabilitation: $10,000 – $50,000 or more
Long-term care: $50,000 – $200,000 or more

As you can see, treatment costs can be high and have a significant financial impact on you and your family.

What are the Long-Term Costs of Severe Truck Accident Injuries?

If you are seriously injured in a truck accident, you may recover well enough to be discharged from the hospital but not well enough to return home. Depending on your injuries, you may need rehabilitation care, which could last from days to months.

Like medical care, there are many variables to rehabilitation care. Some possible costs for long-term rehabilitation for truck accident injuries include:

Inpatient rehabilitation: $10,000 – $50,000 or more per month
Outpatient rehabilitation: $150 – $300 per session
Home health care: $50 – $200 per hour
Assisted living or nursing home care: $5,000 – $10,000 or more per month
Durable medical equipment: $1,000 – $5,000 or more

After you’re discharged directly home from the hospital or rehabilitation facility, you may still need physical and occupational therapy to regain as much function as possible. Physical therapy costs could be:

Initial evaluation: $100 – $200
Follow-up visits: $75 – $150 per session

Actual costs will vary depending on the therapy you need, how long you need it, and the going rates in your area.

What are the Costs of Psychological Treatment After a Truck Accident?

The truck accident may not just inflict physical injuries. The crash’s violence, stress, trauma, and subsequent treatment can result in long-term emotional and psychological harm that requires treatment. Some possible costs associated with psychological treatment for truck accident injuries include:

Initial evaluation: $150 – $300
Follow-up visits: $100 – $200 per session
Medication costs: $50 – $200 per month

After a truck accident, you must get your life back in order as best you can. The crash may have been a sudden, painful, life-threatening, and life-altering event. Psychological help may be just as needed as treatment for physical injuries.

Why are These Costs So High?

Medical care costs can be high for a variety of reasons. How serious your injuries are, how much treatment you’ll need for how long, and who is treating you are all factors. There are also systemic costs that all patients pay directly or indirectly. They include:

The high cost of drugs and medical equipment
High administrative costs: Medical practices and hospitals don’t just help patients. They have costs like billing, record-keeping, and insurance processing
Malpractice insurance: All medical professionals (not just doctors and surgeons), hospitals, and medical practices must carry malpractice insurance to protect themselves from negligence claims
Limited competition in the healthcare market: In many parts of the US, especially in rural areas, there are few hospitals or clinics, which can limit competition and allow them to charge higher prices
High demand for medical services: People are living longer and, as they age, need more medical attention, which drives up healthcare costs
High salaries for healthcare providers: Healthcare providers are in high demand by employers, who must meet the increased demand for medical services. This drives up salaries and the cost of improved benefits
Inflation: Just as you pay more for things you need, so do hospitals and healthcare providers, whether that’s electricity, office supplies, or food

Healthcare inflation will continue because of the rising need for healthcare, the demand for employees, and increasing medication prices.

How Will This Be Paid?

Who pays for medical treatment for injuries caused in a car accident varies on many factors, including:

Health insurance: If you have health insurance, your policy will typically cover some or all of the costs of your medical treatment
Vehicle or Liability insurance: If the truck driver or trucking company caused the accident, their insurance would typically cover the cost of your medical treatment
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage in your vehicle coverage: This will typically cover the cost of your medical treatment, regardless of who was at fault for the accident, up to a limit. The more you can afford to pay for PIP, the higher the limit, the greater benefit you will receive
Workers’ compensation: If you were injured while on the job, your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance would typically cover the cost of your medical treatment
Medicare and Medicaid: If either program covers you, they should cover your costs
Legal action: If the accident was caused by the negligence of the driver or trucking company and their insurance company doesn’t agree to settle your claim, you may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit to seek reimbursement for your past medical expenses and those expected in the future. If someone else paid for your medical care, like your health insurance company, they would want to be paid back through the legal action

Enabling you to pay for past and future healthcare is an important reason to file a personal injury claim after a truck accident.

Speak To a Truck Accident Lawyer Today

Whether you or a family member is injured in Kentucky due to a truck accident, our law firm can and will help you handle legal matters with confidence. Put boots on the ground with help from Satterley & Kelley PLLC.

To schedule a free initial consultation at our Louisville office, call 502-589-5600 (toll-free at 855-385-9532) or complete our contact form today.

Please visit our truck accident page to learn how we can help with truck injury lawsuits.