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Ambulance Rides In California
Most of us don’t sit around thinking about if we will call an ambulance after a car accident.
If the accident is bad enough that you suffer serious injuries, then most of the time you’ll have no say in what happens and an ambulance will be called for you.
If you are conscious and have bad injuries then there is a chance the EMTs will ask you if you want to take an ambulance to the ER.
Many times accident victims will reject an ambulance ride because of the costs that are connected, but when it come to your health you don’t want to cheap out.
If you are a passenger in an Uber or motorcycle wreck it doesn’t matter, you still want to take an ambulance if you need to.
Do what you feel is right in the moment (at the accident scene), but listen to the trained emergency personnel on scene and if they say you need the ambulance it might be best to listen to them.
Why Contact Law Offices of Daniel Kim
Once you are involved in a personal injury lawsuit you’ll realize it is no simple matter.
Daniel Kim and his legal team have years of experience helping car accident victims all across California.
Once all the bills start coming in from the hospital and the ambulance ride, the car repairs, etc., it gets to be overwhelming.
This is why it’s so important to contact a reputable injury attorney like Daniel Kim to make sure you get maximum compensation for your injuries.
There are so many things that happen along the way, for example a personal injury settlement might be taxable.
You don’t want to do all this by yourself, it’s a wise idea to call us today for a FREE consultation.
Is Ambulance Ride Covered By Insurance
There are many insurance plans that have allowances for emergency transportation services which would include ambulance or helicopter rides If it’s “medically needed.”
Remember that insurance companies are not in the business of paying out money, and many times the health insurance company will even deny your claim altogether.
This is another reason why you want to hire The Law Offices of Daniel Kim because we have helped over 2,000 clients with their accident claims.
It is well known that ambulance rides to a hospital can be very expensive, sometimes the ride can cost more than your hospital stay (think of a helicopter ambulance for example and the costs).
Some health insurance companies will cover the actual helicopter ride, but they won’t cover the mileage.
Dealing with insurance companies and medical bills is no easy ride, but this shouldn’t deter you from taking an ambulance if you were not at fault for the accident.
If the other party is at fault then they will be liable for the ambulance bill (it’s one of the recoverable car accident damages).
What If Insurance Company Denies Your Claim
We have seen many instances here in California when an insurance company will ty to deny a claim because they feel that an ambulance ride wasn’t necessary at the accident scene.
With Daniel Kim and his legal team on your side it will definitely help show that you made a good decision by taking the ambulance to the local hospital.
You always need to listen to your body, and if your body was telling you not to drive after the accident then it’s a good thing you took the ambulance.
Our law firm will always help our clients prove that the ambulance was necessary and that the defendants insurance should pay the bill.
There are other things that can complicate all of this, were you at fault for the crash, or maybe the other driver uninsured, etc.
Why Take An Ambulance
There are a lot of reasons why you should take an ambulance ride from the scene of a car accident.
First of all ambulances nowadays are equipped with modern life-saving technology that can literally “save a persons life” while on the way to the local hospital.
Of course ambulances also provide experienced first responders, EMT’s, and top paramedics who can offer a plethora of knowledge and training that other people don’t have.
Legally speaking, it is also better to seek medical care immediately after a car accident so that while your injury claim goes through the process, the insurance companies won’t question the severity of your injuries.
What Injuries Should Make You Take an Ambulance
There are times when taking an ambulance after a car accident will be out of your control and you just have to go with the flow.
If you are unconscious, appear to have neck or head injuries, or deep lacerations or severe cuts then you can expect for the 1st responders to make that decision for you.
Even just feeling “not right” or uncomfortable to drive your car after a crash could be a valid reason to call an ambulance.
Obviously any serious injury should convince you to call an ambulance.
On the other hand there are less critical injuries that should still make you consider taking an ambulance like these below –
- Dizziness
- Back pain
- Blurry vision
- Bleeding from wounds
- Horrible headache
- Potential broken bones
Why Is Ambulance Ride So Expensive
Ambulance companies are typically run by private companies and even venture capital firms (crazy as that sounds).
So these are for-profit ambulance companies that have contracts with towns and cities, etc.
That allows the ambulance to charge by the mile and even by the services provided (think shots, oxygen, etc.).
And it gets more complicated because the prices might even depend on whether a paramedic or EMT is involved as some titles cost more money.
Another reason that an ambulance can cost so much is because it is an “emergency service” that requires them to be available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, this isn’t a cheap service.
How Much Is Ambulance Ride Without Insurance
There is no set answer to this question because it will depend where you live, how far the ambulance drove you, and what services the ambulance provided, etc.
California has tried to put laws into effect that would protect consumers from surprise medical bills, but it’s an ongoing battle that has no apparent easy solution.
One patient was charged over $3600 for just a 4 mile ambulance ride while another person was charged over $8000 just to move to a different hospital.
Additional Costs:
It is crazy how the bills can add up, for example in Los Angeles County providers can charge $25 for an oxygen mask and they can charge $45 for a burn kit or $80 for an infusion pump or pulse oximeter.
Medical supplies like needles, sterile gloves, and IV supplies can easily add hundreds of dollars (or more) to the final ambulance bill.
When Does an Ambulance Bill Need to Be Paid
While you are waiting for the other party (the responsible party’s insurance) to pay the medical bills, you don’t want to just ignore any medical bills you start receiving.
Part of the reason that people hire a top car accident lawyer like Daniel Kim is because we are very skilled at negotiating with insurance companies and medical bills.
When you start getting the medical bills (ER, ambulance, etc.) you’ll want to communicate with your lawyer to make sure everybody is on the same page.
The main thing is that the ambulance company (or other medical providers) are aware of your situation and that you are waiting for an injury settlement or claim.
Ambulance Bill In Collections
As we all know, having any bill in collections is not good for your credit score or your finances.
Regardless of how an ambulance bill got sent to a collection company, you don’t want to just sit back and do nothing.
Having an experienced car accident lawyer on your side will definitely help when it comes to these type of situations and The Law Offices of Daniel Kim will always try to be pro-active when it comes to your medical bills from the car accident.
Call us today for a FREE consultation to discuss your car accident claim.
