Pottsville, Schuylkill PA: As you know not all car accidents are the same. Some have multiple cars. Other accidents involve two cars. Some accidents are only one car crashes. Would you believe some car accidents don’t involve a crash? Weird, right?
During the past year, we treated a few patients that had such non-crash car accidents. At first, the patients didn’t believe that their car insurance was responsible for their medical bills. Yep, 100% of their medical bills. No deductable, no copays. Insurance rates did not go up. Here are a few of their stories…
Changing The Car Battery
The non-crash injury occurred when the patient was removing the battery from his car. He was standing on a stool to pull the battery out. The stool kicked out from underneath his feet. His head and upper body went forward slamming on the engine. He then fell backwards onto the pavement. Ouch! Yep an auto accident.
The Junk Yard Accident
This occurred when the patient was removing a wheel from a car at a junk yard. As he lifted the wheel off the hub, he twisted his back. The interesting thing to note is that he hurt his back not taking the wheel off his car, but a junker. Another covered auto accident.
Vacuuming The Car
A third non-crash auto accident occurred to a woman while she was cleaning her car. She was contorted in the front passenger area vacuuming the carpets getting ready for vacation. As she attempted to move to another position, she twisted and hurt her back. The back injury canceled her vacation.
The Run-Away Truck
Another involved a father and daughter. The dad was out in the brush with his two young daughters. He put both of the kids in the truck and went to load some material in the truck bed. He believes somehow the youngest daughter moved the truck into neutral and the truck started rolling down the hill in the field. The one daughter bounced around in the truck most likely hitting the steering wheel with her chin. The dad chased the runaway truck. He caught up to the runaway truck, grabbed the handle, and opened the door. As the door opened, it threw him to the ground-rolling end over end. The young daughter presented with neck pain and headaches. The dad presented with injuries to his chest, left back, and left shoulder. Both the dad’s and daughter’s were covered under thier auto accident policy.
No Tennis Today
Another covered auto accident occurred when a patient reached inside his car to get his tennis racket. He reached in through the window and as he was withdrawing, he bumped his head on the window frame. He presented with neck pain and tingling traveling down his arm.
Coverage Denied!
We had another patient that hurt her back taking groceries out of the trunk. Her car insurance carrier denied this claim. It seems loading and unloading a motor vehicle is not covered by car insurance. As far as I know, neither is just getting in or out of the car a covered auto accident.
What To Do
If your injury involves a motor vehicle in any way always tell the doctor. It is easier to get the accident history and paperwork right the first time. If you or your doctor submits the medical bills from the car accident to your health insurance company the health insurance typically issues a questionnaire. They want to know if the injury was related to a work and car accident. In the instance of a car accident, your health insurance claim will be denied because the car accident injury is not a covered expense under your medical insurance.
In Pennsylvania, the least amount of “medical insurance” coverage in your car insurance policy is $5,000.00, but it may be much more. It depends upon the policy you bought. Since Pennsylvania is a “No Fault” state, if you are injured in a car accident, your medical expenses from the injury is paid by your car insurance. No deductable, no copays. I have never known a car insurance rate to go up from a no-crash injury.
This article is not written to give medical or legal advice. You should always consult your medial or legal professional.
Want To Know More?
http://www.chiropractorpottsville.com
Doctors’ Choice Physical Medicine and Rehab comment
Dr. David Novatnak
Glee Pascual, Physical Therapist
Pottsville, Schuylkill, PA
This information is solely advisory, and should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice. Any and all health care concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a health care professional who is familiar with your medical history.
This is an interessting article. I hurt myself the other day, right neck and shoulder pain, adjusting my head rest. I was sitting in the car and reached back with both hands to adjust the head rest. When I pulled the headrest up I got a pain in my neck. It has been three days now and the pain is getting worse. Is this an injury that would be covered by my car insurance?
HI Ann:
I am glad you found the article interesting. I am sorry to hear about your accident. You should have your neck and shoulder examined, pain is always a warning sign that something isn’t right. With an injury, the sooner you get it evaluated the better.
Your injury may be another no-crash car accident, it certainly sounds like it fits the criteria.
Typicaly, if we believe the injury is covered under the medical portion of a patient’s car insurance we have them contact their car insurance carrier or local office and open a claim.
Thanks for your comment.
Dr. Novatnak
Hi:
My wife got out of our SUV but her dress was caught it the door. As I drove out of the driveway, she was dragged along the pavement for a few yards, hurting her knee and feet. Is this covered by auto insurance?
Hi Warren:
Covereage is always determined by your insurance policy. This is not legal advice, but in PA there is a medical benefit for injuries that occur involving “the use and maintenance of the vechicle”. Your description of the accident seems to fit that criteria. If your wife presented with that accident history at our office I would ask you to notify your auto carrier of the accident. If the auto carrier turned denied the claim you could send the bills to your health insurance with the denial.
If you just turned in the bills to your health insurance often times the health insurance company will send out a questionairre asking if the accident was work or auto related. If you mark auto related, they may reject your health insurance claim.
Hope this helps.
Dr. David Novatnak