$500,000 for a TBI Is Just the Tip of the Iceberg

It’s difficult (and potentially unethical) to try to pinpoint the exact cost of a catastrophic injury. Every case is different, and the financial burden from an injury will be specific to each person and family. After all, if you can’t work, you can’t pay your bills – and there are a lot of medical bills associated with trauma care.

So when Tulsa World ran an article about a TBI victim’s struggle with medical debt, we read it with interest. Deborah Mais was injured as a passenger in a car accident, and her injuries were truly devastating; she spent weeks in a coma, per Tulsa World, and time in a rehabilitation center. It’s been more than a year and she still hasn’t fully recovered from her traumatic brain injury or from the multiple fractures she sustained to her pelvis, ribs, and tailbone – common injuries in accidents where a victim is T-boned or hit head on. Now, still injured and unable to work, she is facing half a million dollars in medical debt – and there’s no end in sight.

Ms. Mais’ story is not uncommon: every year, people across the country accrue thousands (or hundreds of thousands) of dollars in medical bills through no fault of their own. Oklahoma is no different; in fact, in terms of medical debt we are third in the nation – about 22% of our residents have accumulated medical debts they cannot pay. In Tulsa County, it’s about 19% overall. The numbers are even higher in Oklahoma County (22%), Greer County (39%) and Harmon County (42%).

A look at some of the other expenses you could face after an injury

Consulting with a seasoned lawyer if you get injured in a car accident can help eliminate, or at least manage and mitigate, the financial stresses that come along with being involved in a significant incident. The medical expenses for a traumatic brain injury, a severe burn, a limb amputation, or a spinal cord injury can be astronomical. Even if you have medical insurance, you can still face substantial costs which may or may not be paid by insurance. The ripple effects of a traumatic event can be far-reaching, including:

• Living on one income or no income, if you live alone or suddenly become a caretaker for an injured loved one, for an indeterminate amount of time
• Utility and household bills that cost the same amount of money (or potentially rise)
• Gas and maintenance for the vehicle that takes you to and from doctor’s visits (or the costs of a tax or rideshare)
• Childcare expenses if daycare or afterschool care is not available, and your child’s caretaker is the one who is hurt
• Maintenance costs for lawncare and other labor-intensive duties associated with owning or renting a home
• Home renovation costs if you require wider hallways or ramps, or specialized equipment in the bathroom or on stairways
• Compounding interest and/or late fees associated with loan payments
• Funeral and/or burial costs if the injury proves fatal, or contributes to your loved one’s premature death

Even if you are one of the lucky few – those who have medical insurance and are able to return to gainful employment after the worst physical symptoms fade away or fully resolve – these costs can still put you in significant debt. For an injury like a TBI, which is unlikely to ever fully heal, you could be facing a lifetime of financial struggles because of someone else’s negligence.

How can a Tulsa personal injury lawyer help with medical bills?

When you get injured (in a truck accident, in a worksite explosion, from a dog bite, and so forth) you always have the option to accept whatever settlement the insurance company offers you. We know that when there’s no money coming in, though, the temptation to accept the settlement is really, really strong. Some money must be better than no money, right? At least you can keep the lights on.

But based on our years of practice, we can say that settlement number will low – much, much too low. It’s not going to account for all the medical bills you accrue, or the extra time you need to get healthy for work. It’s not going to take your rehabilitation needs into account, or the specialized care your child will need for the rest of his or her life. In short, that settlement is not going to be enough to keep you from drowning in debt.

An experienced personal injury lawyer gathers the data, documentation, and evidence to support the true value of the claims. At Biby Law Firm, we prepare every case as though we’re going to trial to get what is best for you. While few cases ever make it to trial, preparing as if each and every case will is critical to maximizing each client’s recovery in their respective case. Retaining an attorney with that reputation leads to more serious negotiations early on and throughout the life of a case. Most importantly, unlike some firms that lack courtroom experience, the attorneys at Biby Law Firm take cases to trial and have the track record to prove their successful outcomes.

The harsh reality is that trials and settlements take time, and clients have bills to pay now. We can help with that a bit, too. We will do everything in our power to let keep your medical providers informed about the status of your claim and in exchange, ask them to not attempt to collect on the outstanding accounts. We will routinely deal with Medicaid, Medicare, and all private health insurers to help our clients navigate the different rules and procedures mandated by subrogation laws and clauses. We also keep up to speed with various other methods of lowering our clients’ bills in the form of voluntary bill reductions, uninsured discounts, and charity exceptions/write-offs.

Why are medical bills more expensive than ever?

There are a lot of reasons for the massive increase in bills. Much of it has to do with insurance companies making record profits even as we’re expected to pay more out of pocket. Oklahoma didn’t take the Medicaid expansion, so folks with lower incomes are forgoing medical insurance because it’s more important to keep food on the table, and food prices are up because of global inflation. There’s also the fact that procedures which cost a certain amount at Hospital A cost a very different amount at Hospital B (and sometimes different amounts within the hospitals themselves, depending on your insurance).

The landscape of any personal injury case is full of pitfalls and dead ends – the financial and medical aspects of the case are oftentimes the most daunting. If you’re facing these obstacles through no fault of your own, we want to help. Biby Law Firm fights for injury victims and their families, and we don’t get intimidated by insurance companies or threats of litigation. Contact us to schedule a free consultation at our Tulsa office, or to speak with us about a phone or video consultation if you’re too injured to travel.