Central Florida car accident lawyers work to get reimbursements for money that car crash injury victims spend on immediate medical expenses like X-rays and CT scans. Generally, most car accident injury assessments include imaging for pain from neck and back injuries. Also spinal cord damage, compression fractures, and herniated discs. And, of course, they can be expensive.
Orlando personal injury lawyers are used to seeing standard charges close to Medicare rates for certain procedures. According to a class action lawsuit against HCA Corporation hospitals in Florida, the average price for a brain CT scan is around $164. A lumbar spine x-ray goes for about $50, a cervical spine CT costs about $213. A thoracic spine x-ray should set you back about $38.
However, according to the lawsuit, HCA Florida hospitals were charging a lot more for imaging injuries after a car accident. The plan at HCA hospitals was to target the Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance required for drivers in Florida. CounselFinancial.com reports that “plaintiffs claim [that] those who underwent x-rays and CT scans were allegedly charged up to $6,000 for radiological services that typically only cost only a few hundred dollars.” One plaintiff “alleged that she was charged $6,404 for a brain CT scan, $5,900 for a spine CT scan and $2,222 for a thoracic spine x-ray after a 2013 car accident.”
The hospital recently reached a $220 million class action lawsuit settlement. The hospital will pay in the form of discounts for imaging patients injured in future Florida car accidents.
Central Florida Car Accident Lawyers See Hospital Charges Rise
“From 2002 to 2016, total billed charges by hospitals rose by a staggering $263 billion, to $386 billion, even though the number of patients admitted did not increase.” An excellent break down on the cost of ER care: https://t.co/11ysXaYO64
— Charleston Cares (@BIFMCovers) September 16, 2018
Helping injured victims of negligence recover losses means that Florida car accident lawyers have to keep up with changes in how hospitals charge patients. In a bid to be competitive, hospitals are becoming insurance companies and insurance companies are buying up doctor practices. Not surprisingly, it can all get very confusing. The best Central Florida car accident lawyers will know how to deal with insurance companies – in all their forms.
If an act of negligence has your life upside down, consider the Orlando car accident attorneys at Martinez Mangalrdi, PA. For more than 30 years, we’ve been helping accident victims get fair settlements. Call 407-846-2240 for a free consultation at one of our convenient Central Florida Accident Attorney locations.
