I got involved in a car accident here in Idaho where the other driver was declared at fault. Now I have a cast on my leg and been in the hospital for a month. My medical payments insurance is almost used up. Will my insurer go after the other party’s car insurance company to collect money for my medical treatment?

Hugh

Boise, ID

Each state has varying car insurance laws. In Idaho, drivers are required to obtain the minimum liability insurance. This means that if the insured ever gets involved in a car accident and is found to be at fault, then his or her car insurance provider will shoulder the costs incurred resulting from the accident.

Minimum coverage means having up to twenty-five thousand dollars to pay for treatment of bodily injuries to a single person or a combined total of fifty thousand dollars for all passengers engaged in the accident. An amount of fifteen thousand dollars goes to property damage coverage if repairs are needed to the victim’s vehicle.

Assuming that the other motorist involved in the accident you were in has minimum liability coverage, then you really wouldn’t have any problem claiming medical payments coverage from his or her insurer. But while Idaho mandates that every driver have minimum liability insurance, some still drive around with not enough or no coverage at all. In this case, if you availed of the uninsured/underinsured section in your policy, then your own car insurance company should be the one taking care of all the medical expense, provided that the cost incurred for medical treatment is within the limit stated in your car insurance policy.