HunterGreen

Hi,

In early April I was rear-ended while stopped in my minivan. The guy who ran into me was at fault, no question about it. It all seemed so simple. Seemed.

I was taken to the hospital by ambulance right after the accident for a check-up. Racked up some more medical bills later, because I couldn't turn my head. I was told you're supposed to be able to do that.
Anyway. I decide to go with an attorney to save myself the stress of dealing with the shark people from the insurance companies. In come the medical bills. The other party's insurance won't pay until the case is closed (read - I'm better, which is not yet). My insurance says they won't pay because the other guys should. Attorney is sorting them out.

But meanwhile, those bills, addressed to me, go unpaid. And my carefully built up credit score is plummeting. I will ask my attorney about this as well when I see him again, but would like some input from you guys as well.

Is there anything I can do about this? I'm so annoyed right now, and feel a bit robbed really....

Thanks,
Elaine

fatbrit

http://creditboards.com/forums/index.php?showforum=39

franc11s

Write a letter with copies of statements from Insurance to all 3 credit agencies. They can clear it up but I wouldn't bother unless you need the credit score in the next few months - and do it all then.

I can understand Insurance companies not paying out until it's all over and/or you make more claims. You shouldn't need the attorney unless they fight, that's why they might not part pay..... Push them on part paying.... they might if your nice....

good luck

snowbunny

All of this is true, but most doctors will want to be paid upfront and are tired of insurance companies taking ages to pay.

I don't think that self-paying the bill would in any way negate one's claim to the insurance company. Elaine, any way you can talk to the office managers at the doctor's/hospital and negotiate a payment plan where you pay a part of the bills and they retract their negative feedback to the credit agencies? I don't know if this is possible if the bills are very high.

PS: start mentioning "bad faith" to your *own* insurer. Do you have uninsured motorist coverage, where if the other driver isn't insured or is underinsured, your insurance kicks in? Ask your attorney to investigate a bad faith claim against your insurer -- that will usually get their attention.

HunterGreen

Thanks all for the replies. The attorney is taking care of all the business (and has been taking care of it) so there isn't really anything to do (although I will mention the bad faith claim to him).

But the credit damage has been done, and I'm really trying to find a way to get that taken care of. I'll look around some more at the link fatbrit provided, and I think I will just take francs advice and leave it be for a few months... I don't need the good score now, although it'd be nice to have it back.

Just glad to find out there are apparently ways to fix this, and there's no hurry to do so.

Elaine

snowbunny

There may be no hurry, but the process takes quite some time and you really have to keep at it (think immigration all over again!). So begin ASAP.

And do let the doctor's office managers/hospital accounts know what is going on.... they can at least be sympathetic!

HunterGreen

Thanks Snow, you're right that it will probably take a while, I'll look into it when we get back from our vacation in the NL. The attorney has sent letters etc. to everyone involved (hospital etc.) and I'm not allowed to talk to anyone about it myself. All I'm allowed to do is get better, which thanks to a great chiropractor is going in the right direction.

Elaine