Under Tennessee injury laws, you have the right to any compensation it takes to make you "whole" again after someone's negligence causes a motorcycle accident. This includes covering property damage costs, reimbursing you for out-of-pocket expenses, and paying the total amount of accident-related medical care.
Unfortunately, many victims undervalue the medical portion of their claims because they don't realize just how many costs are recoverable. If you have been hurt in a motorcycle accident, it's best to have a skilled Tennessee motorcycle injury attorney calculate how much medical reimbursement you are owed for past and future treatment.
Recoverable Medical Costs After a Motorcycle Accident
Medical expenses are part of your economic damages, meaning they have an absolute and calculable value. Your medical bills and statements can be used to estimate losses you have already incurred and be used as the basis for calculating the amount of your future care.
Common medical expenses often include:
- Ambulance and ER care. Medical bills from the day of the accident may include ambulance or med-evac transportation, emergency room treatment, and observation in the intensive care unit.
- Surgeries. You may need surgery to insert pins or rods in a broken limb, stop internal bleeding, or relieve the pressure on your brain after a severe head injury.
- Hospital stays. Depending on the extent of your injuries, you may need to stay in the hospital for a week or more until you're medically stable.
- Outpatient visits. You should document any follow-up care needed to improve or monitor your condition during your recovery.
- Assistive medical devices. If your mobility or senses have been affected, you can claim the costs of wheelchairs, crutches, scooters, hearing aids, oxygen tanks, and other medical devices.
- In-home care. The negligent party should cover the cost of any home nursing services, meal delivery, or the value of services you can no longer perform (such as cutting the grass or doing the laundry).
- Rehabilitation therapies. You may need physical therapy to regain balance and range of motion, occupational therapy to retrain for a new job, or speech therapy to aid in communication after a brain injury.
- Medications. Don't forget to include any prescribed or over-the-counter medications for pain, muscle spasms, or other complications from the accident.
Even if you have already paid these bills with your health insurance or have medical coverage that will pay for future accident costs, you should still sue for the total amount of accident-related damages. You have the right to be paid for your total expenses even if you have already settled some payments on your own.
Insurance Companies May Dispute the Amount of Motorcycle Crash Damages
Of course, insurance companies rarely roll over and pay whatever number you assign to your medical costs. It will be up to you to prove that each expense was medically necessary and directly related to the injury you suffered in the collision. Insurers may also attempt to show that you're partially to blame for the crash, reducing the overall amount of damages by your percentage of fault.
Even after you have jumped through every hoop, the insurer may dispute your calculation of medical expenses in an attempt to settle the claim for a fraction of the cost. These are just a few ways insurers pick apart legitimate claims, hoping to exhaust victims to the point where they will accept a lower settlement out of frustration or financial desperation.
At GriffithLaw, we side with clients who are going up against insurers with deep pockets.
We collect complete and accurate documentation of your medical costs, hire medical experts who can attest to the severity of your condition and future medical needs, and fight for your just recovery of medical expenses and other crash-related damages. We also work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you won't have to pay anything until your case is won. Get in touch with us today using our online form, or give us a call to schedule your free case evaluation.
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