Hurt in a car or truck crash?
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Ways to pay for care without health insurance
Check your auto policy first. MedPay is optional coverage that pays reasonable medical expenses from a covered crash for you, your family or people in your car, up to the policy limit and regardless of fault. Even a small MedPay limit can cover an emergency visit or the first weeks of treatment. Many people do not know they bought it until they look.
Some doctors, chiropractors, imaging centers and surgery centers treat injured people on a lien. That means they wait to be paid until the case settles, and their bill comes out of the settlement. Ask for the lien terms in writing, including the full price, before treatment starts. Read medical liens after a car accident to understand what you are signing.
Hospital bills and hospital liens
If you went to the hospital, the bill may arrive before you know who will pay it. California’s Hospital Lien Act lets a hospital that treated you claim a lien on your recovery, and it also limits that lien. The hospital can collect only from up to 50 percent of the money owed to you under a judgment, settlement or compromise, after any prior liens are paid.
Do not ignore hospital letters. Call the billing office, tell them the bill is from a car accident, and give them the claim information for the at-fault driver’s insurer and your own. Ask whether the hospital offers financial assistance or a self-pay discount. Keep every letter and itemized bill, because these amounts become part of your claim.
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If the other driver has little or no insurance
California auto policies must include uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage unless the policyholder rejected it in a signed written agreement. If the driver who hit you had no insurance, that coverage on your own policy may pay for your injuries. See hit by an uninsured driver in California for the deadlines and steps.
A separate problem comes up if your own car had no auto insurance. Under Proposition 213, the owner of an uninsured vehicle involved in the crash generally cannot recover pain and suffering, though medical bills and lost wages remain recoverable. That rule is about auto insurance and says nothing about health insurance. Read hit with no car insurance if this applies to you.
What to do now
Get care now. Delays hurt your health and give insurers a reason to doubt your injuries. Go to an emergency room or urgent care if you need it, and tell every provider the injury came from a car crash. Take photos of the cars, the scene and your injuries, and write down witness names and every claim number.
Do not sign a release or give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer before you talk with a lawyer. Keep every bill, receipt and pharmacy slip. A California injury lawsuit must generally be filed within two years. In Washington the deadline is generally three years, and insurers there must offer PIP, which pays medical costs regardless of fault.
- Get medical care and say it came from a car crash
- Check your auto policy for MedPay
- Get any lien agreement in writing before treatment
- Keep every bill, receipt and letter
- Do not sign releases or give recorded statements before you talk with a lawyer
Common questions
Can I still get a settlement if I don’t have health insurance?
Yes. Having no health insurance does not stop you from making an injury claim against the driver who caused the crash. Your medical bills, future care, lost income and pain and suffering are still part of the claim. What matters is proof of the injury, who was at fault and how much insurance is available.
Will doctors treat me without insurance after a car accident?
Many will. Some providers treat car accident patients on a lien and wait to be paid from the settlement, and others accept MedPay from your auto policy. Ask each office how they handle accident cases before your first visit, and get any lien in writing. Read who pays medical bills after a crash.
Should I sign up for health insurance after the accident?
Getting coverage can help with ongoing care and with health needs unrelated to the crash. Enrollment rules and timing depend on the program, so check with Covered California or Medi-Cal. A new plan may ask to be repaid from your settlement for crash-related bills, depending on its terms.
What if the hospital sends my bill to collections?
Call the hospital, explain that the bill is from a car accident, and give them the insurance claim information. Ask whether they will hold the account while the claim is pending. A lawyer can contact the hospital for you and keep track of what is owed so it can be paid from the settlement.
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Car and truck accident lawyer — Beverly Law
If you were hurt in a car or truck crash in California and Washington, talk to a personal injury attorney. Free, confidential, English or Spanish. You owe no fees or costs unless we win.
Related pages
The insurance company made a lowball offer: how to respond · Should I accept the first settlement offer after a car accident? · How long does a car accident settlement take? · Is a car accident settlement taxable? · Car accident settlement with no injuries: what you can claim · All car and truck accident questions
Sources
- California Department of Insurance, Auto Insurance Terms glossary; policy terms
- Cal. Civ. Code §§ 3045.1, 3045.4
- Cal. Ins. Code § 11580.2(a)(1)-(3), (b)(1)-(2), (f)
- Cal. Civ. Code § 3333.4(a)(1)-(3), (b), (c); Hodges v. Superior Court (1999) 21 Cal.4th 109 (upholding statute)
- Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1
- RCW 4.16.080(2)
- RCW 48.22.085(1)-(2), 48.22.095(1)
Important: This page is general information about California and Washington law, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different; talk to a lawyer about yours. Last reviewed: November 5, 2026.