It is difficult to think about deadlines after you have been injured in a car accident, however the alternative is you could lose out on medical and wage benefits.

As you already know from reading this blog, after you have been injured in a car accident, your car insurance must pay your medical bills and lost wages, with certain limitations, through New York no-fault benefits.

However, it is important to note that most insurance companies generally require you to fill out a no-fault application within 30 days from the date of the accident or the insurance company may deny coverage.  30 days is not a lot of time when you are injured and trying to deal with all the other issues that come with being in a car accident, including property damage to your vehicle, filing a police accident report, talking to your employer about missing work and attending medical appointments.

In addition, most car insurance companies generally require that they receive any medical bills within 45 days from treatment.  You must notify your doctor that they need to bill your car insurance for any treatment related to the car accident.  If you have been treated with this doctor prior to the car accident, you should verify that the doctor is billing the proper insurance company.  Many times a doctor’s office will have a separate billing department and they will bill the insurance company they have on file.  And since billing usually takes time, by the time you realize that the doctor office has billed the wrong insurance company, the 45 days may have passed and your car insurance may deny paying the bill as untimely.  This ultimately may result in you being responsible for the bill.

It is important to pay attention to deadlines after a car accident, because you could be responsible for your medical bills and lose out on lost wages.

Heather LaDieu

Email: hladieu@mcvlaw.com

Phone: 315-471-1664

Heather R. La Dieu has been an associate in Meggesto, Crossett & Valerino, LLP’s Litigation Department since 2001.  Ms. La Dieu focuses her practice primarily in personal injury cases involving motor vehicle accidents, premises liability, construction accidents, municipal liability, wrongful death and products liability.  Ms. La Dieu also practices in the area of insurance law, contract law and criminal defense.

Ms. La Dieu is a graduate of Syracuse University where she earned her B.S. in Chemical Engineering and received her J.D. at Syracuse University College of Law.

Ms. La Dieu is admitted to the New York State Bar, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District and the Supreme Court of the United States of America.  Ms. La Dieu is a member of the Onondaga County Bar Association, New York Bar Association and Central New York State Women’s Bar Association.  Ms. La Dieu also has arbitrated for the Syracuse City Court Arbitration Program.