What Is a Letter of Protection and How Does It Impact my Personal Injury Case?

When you’re injured in an accident, it can take an extended period of time for your insurance to kick in and cover the cost of your medical bills.

Car insurance coverage doesn’t pay for treatment as you go. Instead, the insurance company expects you to front the cost of all your medical expenses and then submit all your bills to them. Once they have these documents, they will offer you a settlement to cover these costs, or whatever they believe is fair.

But you may still need to get medical treatment immediately and can’t wait until all these questions are answered. This is where a letter of protection comes into play in personal injury cases.

What a Letter of Protection Does

A letter of protection, or LOP, is a letter sent by you (the injured party) and your attorney to your health care provider after an accident, such as a car crash or slip and fall. Within the letter will be a written agreement to pay the medical expenses you owe the doctor out of a future recovery you get from your case, whether by settlement, trial, or judgment.

Using Your Health Insurance or a Letter of Protection

A LOP is a great option if you don’t have health insurance and you need costly and timely treatment, such as surgery or specialist care. That way, you can get the treatment you need that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to get.

However, if your doctors are asking for a letter of protection and you have health insurance, use your health insurance. That’s what health insurance is for and it’s much easier for our legal team to maximize the compensation in your pocket when you use this coverage for your medical expenses first.

With a LOP, keep in mind that you will still owe your health care provider for the treatment they provided if you lose your case.

Additionally, the amount you are charged for your treatment with a LOP is probably going to be higher than what you would see after health insurance payments. That’s because when health insurance pays, they get contractual discounts from the health care providers, and doctors are generally happy to give these discounts to health insurance because the doctor knows they will get paid quickly. With a LOP, the doctor may have to wait years to get paid for their services.

We can often get LOP bills reduced after a settlement, but the reductions depend on the circumstances, and every case is different. If you are unsure how to pay your medical bills immediately after an accident, contact Dismuke Law and we can discuss your specific case during your free consultation.

Maximizing the Money That Goes in Your Pocket

Whatever the situation of your accident, you may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. Please do not hesitate to contact our firm right away to ensure your rights to maximum compensation are protected. We will make sure to guide you through the claims process and provide you with legal advice so you get maximum compensation straight in your pocket.

At Dismuke Law, our clients always come first. Our head attorney, Dave Dismuke, is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by The Florida Bar and comes backed with 18+ years of legal experience under his belt. You can be rest assured knowing your case is in the hands of seasoned, dedicated legal professionals.

Contact our Lakeland personal injury attorneys at (863) 292-6922 or fill out our online contact form. We offer free, no-obligation consultations and are available 24/7 to answer any questions you may have.