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The order bills usually get paid in
Right after a crash, the other driver’s insurer rarely pays doctors directly. Adjusters usually wait until treatment is done and they can see the whole claim. In the meantime, the bills arrive at your home. Most people use one or more of these sources: their health plan, MedPay coverage on their own auto policy, or treatment on a lien, where the provider waits to be paid from the settlement.
When the case resolves, the settlement or judgment is meant to cover the medical costs the crash caused, including future care and lost wages. Out of that money, some providers or plans may ask to be paid back. How much they can take depends on the type of lien and the plan terms. See how medical liens work for more.
MedPay, health insurance and Washington PIP
MedPay is optional coverage you can buy on your own California auto policy. It pays reasonable medical expenses from a covered crash for you, your family or others in your car, up to the policy limit, no matter who was at fault. Check your declarations page to see if you have it and how much. Read how MedPay works in California for details.
Health insurance works the way it always does: you pay copays and deductibles, and the plan pays the rest under its rules. Using it can keep collection calls away while the claim is open. Your plan may ask to be repaid from a settlement, depending on its terms. If you have no health coverage, see car accident with no health insurance.
In Washington, auto insurers must offer personal injury protection (PIP), which pays medical expenses and some lost income regardless of fault. A policyholder can reject it only in writing, so many Washington drivers have it without knowing. If you were hurt in Washington, check your policy for PIP before you pay any bill out of pocket.
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When the other driver’s insurance is not enough
California’s minimum auto liability coverage for policies issued or renewed since January 1, 2025 is $30,000 for injury to one person and $60,000 for injury to two or more people. Serious injuries can cost far more than that. When the at-fault driver has little or no insurance, your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may be the next place to look.
California auto policies must include uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage unless the policyholder rejected it in a signed written agreement. The deadlines for these claims are strict. Within two years you generally must sue the uninsured driver, settle with your insurer, or start arbitration by written notice sent by certified mail. Your own share of fault matters too, because under pure comparative fault it reduces what you recover.
What to do now
Get the care you need and follow your doctor’s advice. Gaps in treatment give insurers a reason to argue you were not really hurt. Keep a folder with every bill, receipt, explanation of benefits and pharmacy printout. Photograph your injuries as they heal, and write down the names of witnesses and the claim number for every insurer involved.
Do not sign a release or give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company before you talk with a lawyer. Tell each provider which insurance to bill, and ask whether they will wait for payment from the settlement. A California injury lawsuit must generally be filed within two years of the crash, and a Washington one within three years.
- Bill your health plan or MedPay first
- Keep every bill, receipt and explanation of benefits
- Write down claim numbers and adjuster names
- Do not sign releases or give recorded statements before you talk with a lawyer
Common questions
Does the at-fault driver’s insurance pay my medical bills right away?
Usually not. The other driver’s insurer typically pays once, when the injury claim settles, and that payment covers all of your damages together. Until then, the bills are paid by your health plan, your MedPay coverage, or by you. Some providers agree to wait for payment from the settlement through a lien.
Should I use my health insurance after a car accident?
In most cases, yes. Using your health plan gets bills paid at the plan’s rates and keeps accounts out of collections while your claim is open. The plan may ask to be paid back from your settlement, depending on its terms. A lawyer can review that request before you pay it.
What if my medical bills are higher than the other driver’s policy limits?
Look at your own policy. Underinsured motorist coverage can pay when the at-fault driver’s limits are too low, and MedPay can help with bills. A lawyer can also check whether anyone besides the driver shares responsibility for the crash, which could open another source of payment.
Who pays medical bills if I was partly at fault?
You can still recover in California even if you share some of the blame, though the amount is reduced by your share of fault. MedPay pays regardless of fault, up to its limit. Your health plan also pays under its normal rules, no matter who caused the crash.
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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
- RCW 48.22.085(1)-(2), 48.22.095(1)
- Cal. Veh. Code § 16056(a)(2), (d) (as amended by SB 1107, Stats. 2022, ch. 719); Cal. Ins. Code § 11580.1(b)(1)
- Cal. Ins. Code § 11580.2(a)(1)-(3), (b)(1)-(2), (f)
- Cal. Ins. Code § 11580.2(i)(1)(A)-(C), (b)(1)-(2)
- Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804, 828-829; CACI No. 405
- Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1
- RCW 4.16.080(2)
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.