When you are hurt in a car accident, your injuries can be devastating, and depending on the type of treatment you need, the medical bills can be staggering. This is especially true for people over the age of 65 who are hurt in a car accident.
If you are over 65 and the victim of a car wreck, you may be more at risk of suffering a worse injury than a younger person would have from a crash at the same speed. These types of personal injuries include:
- Traumatic brain injuries,
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis,
- Back injuries,
- Burns,
- Internal injuries,
- Broken bones,
- Disfiguring injuries and scars,
- Limb loss,
- Neck injuries and whiplash,
- Knee injuries,
- Foot injuries,
- Shoulder injuries,
- Hand and wrist injuries,
- Soft tissue injuries (like sprains, damage to muscles tendons, and ligaments)
People over the age of 65 are typically eligible for Medicare. And Medicare will often act as insurance to cover some of your medical expenses related to the medical treatment for your personal injuries. However, if you are successful in obtaining a personal injury settlement or judgment, Medicare will want to be reimbursed for the medical expenses it paid.
Once a settlement is reached in your personal injury lawsuit, federal laws require your personal injury lawyers to report the settlement to Medicare. Once reported, Medicare reviews your file to see if it will seek reimbursement from your settlement.
An experienced personal injury attorney can work with Medicare to ensure they are not including charges for treatment that is not related to your accident. They may also be able to negotiate with Medicare to lower the amount you must repay. That means you get to keep more of your settlement.
If you have been hurt in a car accident in Louisiana, contact Stag Liuzza for a free consultation.
