Injured in an Accident You Caused? You Can Still Get Care

Car accidents aren’t always somebody else’s fault.

Maybe you looked away from the road for a second. Maybe you misjudged the distance between your vehicle and the car ahead of you. Perhaps you slid on a wet or icy road in Lorain County or simply made a mistake behind the wheel.

Now you’re dealing with neck pain, back pain, headaches, stiffness, or another injury, but there’s one thing stopping you from seeking care:

You caused the accident.

If this sounds familiar, there is something important to understand. Being at fault for a car accident does not prevent you from getting medical treatment for your own injuries.

Drivers injured in at-fault accidents may also have insurance options that can help pay eligible medical expenses. One potential source is Medical Payments Coverage, commonly known as MedPay.

At Xcell Medical Group in Elyria, Ohio, we want injured drivers to understand that fault and healthcare are two separate issues. If you’re hurt, getting evaluated matters regardless of who caused the collision.

Can I Get Medical Treatment If a Car Accident Was My Fault?

Yes. An at-fault driver can seek medical care after a car accident.

Determining who caused an accident deals with financial and legal responsibility for the collision. It does not determine whether your body was injured.

The physical forces involved in a crash can affect everyone inside the vehicles, including the driver who caused it.

An at-fault driver may experience:

• Neck pain and whiplash symptoms
• Lower or upper back pain
• Shoulder pain
• Knee pain
• Headaches
• Muscle strains and sprains
• Joint pain and stiffness
• Numbness or tingling
• Reduced range of motion
• Concussion symptoms
• Other soft tissue injuries

Some symptoms may begin immediately. Others can become noticeable later.

If you’re experiencing pain or other symptoms after an accident in Elyria, Lorain, North Ridgeville, Amherst, Avon, Sheffield, or another Lorain County community, don’t assume you have to live with them simply because you caused the crash.

Who Pays My Medical Bills If I Caused the Accident?

The answer depends on the insurance coverage available to you.

Auto liability insurance is generally intended to cover bodily injuries and property damage an insured driver causes to other people, subject to the policy’s terms and limits.

Your own injuries may be handled differently.

That’s why one of the first questions an injured at-fault driver should ask is:

Do I have MedPay coverage?

What Is MedPay in Ohio?

Medical Payments Coverage, or MedPay, is optional auto insurance coverage that can help pay eligible medical expenses resulting from an automobile accident.

A particularly important feature of MedPay is that it is generally designed to apply regardless of who was responsible for the accident, subject to the specific terms, exclusions, and limits of the insurance policy.

That can make MedPay especially relevant for an injured driver who caused a collision.

For example, suppose you rear-end another vehicle while driving in Elyria. Your liability coverage may apply to eligible injuries suffered by people in the other vehicle.

But you may also have injured your neck or back during the impact.

If you purchased MedPay coverage, your own policy may provide benefits toward eligible accident-related medical expenses up to your coverage limit.

Because policies differ, never assume you have MedPay or that a particular service will automatically be covered. Contact your auto insurer and verify your individual benefits.

How Can I Find Out If I Have MedPay?

Start by checking the declarations page of your auto insurance policy.

Look for terms such as:

• Medical Payments
• Medical Expense
• MedPay

You can also contact your insurance agent or carrier directly.

Consider asking:

“Do I have Medical Payments Coverage on my auto policy, and does it apply to my injuries from this accident?”

You should also ask about your coverage limit, applicable requirements, and how accident-related medical bills should be submitted.

Can I Use MedPay If the Accident Was My Fault?

Potentially, yes.

Unlike bodily injury liability coverage, MedPay is generally based on eligible medical expenses resulting from an auto accident rather than determining which driver caused the crash.

That means an at-fault driver may potentially use available MedPay benefits for their own eligible injuries, depending on the terms of the policy.

Your insurer is the appropriate source for confirming whether MedPay applies to your specific accident and medical expenses.

What If I Have Health Insurance?

Having health insurance does not necessarily mean you should ignore the auto insurance coverage available to you.

Depending on the policies involved, health insurance and automobile medical coverage may each play a role in paying accident-related medical expenses.

How those benefits work together varies by policy and circumstances.

Before beginning non-emergency accident injury care, it can be helpful to understand what insurance benefits you have available and how your insurer requires them to be used.

Do I Need a Personal Injury Lawsuit to Get Treatment?

No.

This is one of the biggest misconceptions surrounding car accident injury treatment.

Medical care isn’t reserved for someone who has a personal injury claim against another driver.

If you caused an accident, you might not have another driver’s insurance company to pursue for your injuries. That doesn’t change the fact that you may need medical attention.

You may have your own applicable insurance benefits, including MedPay, or other options for paying for care.

The important point is this:

Getting evaluated for an injury and pursuing a claim against another person are not the same thing.

What About a Single-Car Accident?

This issue isn’t limited to two-vehicle crashes.

Imagine you:

• Slide off an icy Lorain County road
• Lose control on wet pavement
• Hit a deer
• Strike a guardrail
• Hit another stationary object

You might be the only driver involved and still experience significant injuries.

Single-car crashes can produce the same sudden forces that contribute to neck pain, back pain, joint injuries, soft tissue injuries, and other problems.

Your available insurance coverage will depend on your individual policy, but the absence of another at-fault driver doesn’t mean you should ignore an injury.

Why Do At-Fault Drivers Put Off Getting Care?

Sometimes the biggest obstacle isn’t insurance. It’s guilt.

After causing an accident, you may be thinking about the other people involved, your damaged vehicle, a traffic citation, your insurance rates, or the financial consequences of the crash.

Your own health gets pushed to the bottom of the list.

You may even think:

“I caused this. I don’t deserve to complain about being hurt.”

But fault doesn’t change what happened physically to your body.

You don’t have to be the victim of a car accident to be injured in one.

Ignoring persistent symptoms won’t undo the collision.

When Should I Get Checked After an At-Fault Accident?

Consider seeking an evaluation when you’re experiencing new or persistent symptoms after a crash, especially:

• Neck or back pain
• Headaches
• Shoulder or knee pain
• Muscle soreness that isn’t improving
• Joint stiffness
• Difficulty moving normally
• Numbness or tingling
• Pain that increases over time
• Dizziness or concentration problems

Some symptoms following a collision may require emergency medical attention. Severe or rapidly worsening symptoms, loss of consciousness, significant weakness, difficulty speaking, severe headache, breathing problems, or other potentially serious symptoms should be evaluated promptly through appropriate emergency care.

At-Fault Car Accident Injury Care in Elyria, Ohio

If you’re experiencing pain after an accident you caused, Xcell Medical Group in Elyria can evaluate your injuries and help determine an appropriate course of care.

Depending on your condition and individual needs, treatment may include chiropractic care, physical rehab, orthopedic care, pain management, diagnostic services, and other appropriate treatment options available through Xcell Medical Group.

We serve patients from Elyria and surrounding Lorain County communities who are dealing with injuries following car accidents and other incidents.

Frequently Asked Questions About At-Fault Car Accident Injuries

Can an at-fault driver get medical treatment in Ohio?

Yes. Causing an accident does not prevent you from seeking medical treatment for injuries you experienced in the collision.

Can my own car insurance pay for treatment if I caused the crash?

Possibly. If your policy includes applicable Medical Payments Coverage, MedPay may help with eligible medical expenses regardless of fault, subject to your policy’s terms and limits.

Is MedPay required in Ohio?

MedPay is generally optional coverage in Ohio. Check your policy declarations page or contact your insurance carrier to determine whether you purchased it.

Do I need an attorney before getting medical care?

You do not need to be pursuing a personal injury lawsuit simply to seek medical evaluation or treatment. Questions about your specific legal rights should be directed to a qualified attorney.

What if I was the only person involved in the accident?

You can still be injured in a single-vehicle crash. Your options for paying medical expenses will depend on your individual health and auto insurance coverage.

What if I didn’t feel hurt immediately after the crash?

Some car accident symptoms may become more noticeable after the initial shock of the collision has passed. New, persistent, or worsening symptoms should not automatically be dismissed simply because you felt okay immediately afterward.

Hurt in an Accident You Caused? Your Health Still Matters.

Making a mistake behind the wheel doesn’t make your injuries disappear.

Whether you rear-ended another vehicle, lost control on an icy road, hit a deer, or were involved in another type of at-fault collision, you can still seek medical care for your injuries.

You may also have insurance benefits you didn’t realize were available.

Check your auto insurance policy for Medical Payments Coverage (MedPay) and contact your insurer to verify your benefits.

If you’re experiencing pain or other symptoms following a car accident, contact Xcell Medical Group in Elyria, Ohio to schedule an evaluation and learn more about your treatment options.

Don’t let fault keep you from taking care of your health.