Modern healthcare can provide amazing assistance for those with traumatic injuries. After a car crash, a hospital can treat someone’s head injury, set their broken bones and even operate to remove embedded shrapnel. Of course, with cutting-edge treatment comes a significant price tag. People without health insurance may worry about how they will cover the costs inspired by an Idaho collision. Even those with insurance may have large deductibles they have to pay with their own resources and then coinsurance that will make them responsible for a portion of the total costs of their care.
People trying to mitigate the expenses generated by a car crash might consider crowdfunding, which is an option sometimes even used by celebrities. Digital crowdfunding platforms allow people to solicit small donations from members of their extended social network. Is crowdfunding the right way to handle the medical expenses resulting from an Idaho collision?
The driver at fault should cover the costs
It can be a very positive experience to see how many people will step up and contribute toward someone’s medical expenses after a collision. Friends, co-workers and family members can quickly help someone reach their goal by making small donations toward what seems like an overwhelming financial burden.
The problem with the crowdfunding approach is that it taps into the goodwill that someone may need later in life for another incident where there won’t be someone else to blame. Additionally, it lets the person who caused the crash avoid their financial culpability for their mistakes.
Drivers in Idaho should have liability insurance coverage that will pay for the losses someone else incurs after they cause a collision. Of course, many people have relatively low amounts of coverage. State law also allows those harmed by the omissions or wrongful acts of another person, like a driver who violates traffic laws, to file a personal injury lawsuit. Such lawsuits help ensure that the person who is actually to blame for someone’s injuries will be the party absorbing all of those costs.
Crowdfunding can put someone’s claim at risk
Even if people turn to crowdfunding platforms to collect what they need for immediate treatment and intend to hold an unsafe driver accountable later, creating a campaign on GoFundMe or a similar website could be a big mistake. The details included in the campaign could benefit the party responsible for the crash.
The courts may also eventually diminish what they award someone in a lawsuit based on what they received through crowdfunding. Medical care providers can sometimes also take legal action against those with unpaid debts, which could put those funds at risk as soon as someone earns them.
Those recently hurt in a car crash or caring for someone who was may benefit from seeking legal guidance. Pursuing compensation in the right ways can give someone the most thorough financial support possible after an Idaho collision.