What To Do If You’ve Received a Bill From Emergency Services Following Your Auto Accident

If you have been in a car wreck, motorcycle accident or truck crash, and you were not the motorist determined to be at-fault, then Texas law means that you have a right to claim damages from the negligent party’s insurance company. This includes compensation for bodily injury, property damage, loss of income, pain and suffering, etc.

If you or a loved one have been hurt, then it is advisable that you seek professional advice from a board certified personal injury lawyer or wrongful death attorney. Here at the Anderson Law Firm, we offer completely free, no obligation consultations.

Even if you were fortunate enough not to suffer any injuries, it may not be as simple as you hope to put the wreck behind you. There is often a lot of paperwork to be taken care of and sometime you may even be billed for costs which are actually the responsibility of the at-fault motorist.

It is becoming increasingly common for accident victims to receive bills through the mail from City Fire Departments which often run into hundreds of dollars. These bills are charges for the emergency response services they have provided by attending to your collision. Obviously, in accidents where they were serious injuries, the bills will be considerably higher. However, if you were not the at-fault party, then payment for these bills is not your responsibility. The liable party is the one responsible for the cost of Fire Department and first responder service costs.

What you need to do is make sure that the company sending you the bill is aware of who should pay it. (There is no legal obligation, but it means they'll stop billing you.) I recommend that you put it in writing. Send a letter back to the biller explaining that you were not at fault for the accident, and notify them of the at-fault driver’s insurance company information. If you have the contact details of the specific insurance adjustor assigned to your case, you might want to send them a copy of your letter too. It is also worth enclosing a copy of the police crash scene report which shows you are not liable with your letter to both the billing fire department and the at-fault person’s insurance company.

For more information on dealing with life after a traffic wreck, you may be interested in my book 15 Mistakes That Will Wreck Your Texas Accident Case. To request your free copy, please call my office toll free at 800-354-MARK (6275) or call locally in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or in Dallas at 214-327-8000.

Other Articles You Might Be Interested In:

We’ll Get Your Accident Report For Free

How To Interpret Your Police Crash Report

Making a Car Wreck Injury Claim in DFW

Do Not Delay: Waiting To Get Medical Help Can Ruin Your Injury Claim

“It’s Your Fault”: How the Insurance Company Will Try to Shift Blame to You