Can I get my medical bills paid for
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Can I get my medical bills paid for
I fell and broke my ankle yesterday in a parking lot. The lot
had that black tar/paint that makes it look new , I had
stepped off the curb to enter my car when my right caught
the edge of a pothole and down I went, after the pain
passed I looked to see how did this happen and seen the
pothole that was just big and deep enough to roll my ankle
and cause a break. Could I get my medical bills covered or
is it too late because I left to go to the hospital and didnt
call the police or make a report to anyone but the ER staff?
What steps should I take ?
Asked on November 6, 2017 under Personal Injury, Florida
Answers:
S.L,. Member, California Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
You should contact the owner of the parking lot (business), obtain its insurance information and notify the insurance carrier in writing of your injury and that you will be filing a personal injury claim. Also, file an incident report with the owner of the parking lot (business).
When you complete your medical treatment and are released by the doctor or are declared by the doctor to be permanent and stationary which means having reached a point in your medical treatment where no further improvement is anticipated, obtain your medical bills, medical reports and documentation of wage loss. Your claim filed with the parking lot owner's insurance carrier should include those items.
Compensation for the medical bills is straight reimbursement. The medical reports document your injury and are used to determine compensation for pain and suffering which is an amount in addition to the medical bills. Compensation for wage loss is straight reimbursement.
If the case is settled with the insurance carrier for the parking lot, NO lawsuit is filed.
If you are dissatisfied with settlement offers from the parking lot's insurance carrier, reject the settlement offers and file a lawsuit against the parking lot based on premises liability.
If the case is NOT settled, your lawsuit against the parking lot must be filed prior to the expiration of the applicable statute of limitations or you will lose your rights forever in the matter.
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