Mandatory Insurance Doesn’t Mean Mandatory Claim Processing

Back in 2005, my car tire had a blowout. The car went out of control and careened into a roadside wall of cement. The car didn’t make it, was towed away and eventually totalled. An ambulance rushed me to a nearby reputable trauma center. After an ER visit, four days of hospitalization, many tests and specialist referrals, I was released with medication and instructions to continue with local doctors.

To this day in spite of residual aches and pains, I feel lucky. My son ET who was napping in the back seat escaped with only a few scratches. No other car got involved in the chain of events. I am alive today. However, I still cannot believe the amount of paperwork and bills that followed the incident. Along with my own personal affordable dental plan, vision plan, prescription plan, and medical plan, I had full MV coverage in our no fault insurance state.

The insurance company claimed it was not responsible for many of the bills incurred and I was liable for the payments. Its justification was that other pre-existing conditions were treated as part of the accident workup. It really makes one wonder.