20 stitches removed from my leg yesterday

DogBunny

DogBunny

Motorcychologist
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Yesterday I had twenty stitches removed from my lower right leg. There are another 10 internal self-dissolving titches still inside.
Eleven days ago I was riding, doing about 35 on a "main drag" here in Austin. This is the most dangerous type of riding that there is, with plenty of businesses and intersections and entering streets. A woman pulled directly in front of me from an apartment driveway. One second later I t-boned her, flipped over the car, and made a rolling landing on my back 15 feet away.
I was completely unscathed, except for one thing: as I was ejected, my right leg raked the right handlebar. The handlebar switch housings ripped open my lower leg up. The leg was flayed with 4 inches of exposed bone.
Thanks to several emergency room CT scans the total emergency room bill was 47 thousand dollars.
The first week of recovery was like being tortured, but I am now beginning to feel human again, and I will make a full recovery.
The bike was a 1977 Yamaha XT500 that was just about completely restored. It is a total loss, but it looks like I'll be able to keep it. It is kick-only, and my kick leg is the one that was injured, so it'll be awhile before I start it again.

I'm not looking for sympathy. There is no need for anyone to respond with "get well" wishes, I know that everyone reading this sends their thoughts and best wishes. Thanks.
 
It sucks when a fellow rider gets hurt! Hopefully her car got f'ed up good too. It's only fair, right? I've got faith you'll be kicking her over soon, maybe even teach the left leg a thing or two!:wink2:
 
Well, CRAP!!! That sucks a big one!!!
Had a similar "pulled out in front of me" episode there in 1970.
Austin can be dangerous, heavy traffic, get-home-itus disease, illegals without licenses or insurance.
A real combat zone.

Have you considered body armor???

129175233332853831.jpg
 
Two many, I'll see you at the Harvest Classic next month. This may be the first year that I drive -- in a new 1974 El Camino I've been working on. Really wanted to bring the XT500, it's the most fun bike I've ever had. May bring it still, along with the 76 XS650.
figure8 said:
$47,000 huh? She had good insurance right?
Click to expand...
Okay, here's where I welcome your experiences:
Minimal liability coverage in Texas covers my injuries up to 30K. (That's all I ever carry.) I have no idea if the driver carried more than minimum, and the insurance co. doesn't have to tell. I guess I'll know when I get their settlement offer. If it is only 30K then I can go after the driver's assets, but it is doubtful she has any -- she lives in an apartment and drives a 2002 Mercury Cougar.
The hospital bill is, and will be negotiated (by me, I'm my own advocate on this thing). Right now I'm being billed top prices.
The CT scans came to 22K. I was not asked if I wanted them. I think I would have known if I had internal injuries or if my neck or back was broken. I think this is where hospitals make their money. Maybe I'm dreaming, but I'm going to try to have the whole CT scan bill dropped.
The ambulance ride was another $1,053.55. It appears that I should be able to negotiate this down to 85%.
On top of this there is another couple hundred that I've spent on prescriptions and on medical supplies -- I am still oozing and changing my dressing every day.
Another interesting expense is the motorcycle tow fee, altogether about $350 -- what a racket. Fortunately this comes out of the damages pool, which has plenty enough money in it.

Bottom line is that I will be very lucky if I don't have to pay some of my medical expenses myself, I will be luckier still if I see anything at all for lost wages, and it will be a miracle (although there is hope), if I get anything for pain and suffering, of which there has been plenty.

I had a good long talk with an accident attorney, and he said that if you take nothing else away form our conversation take away this: if you ride a MOTORCYCLE you should absolutely have uninsured driver insurance. If I had it, it would make up any difference in coverage beyond the liable part's policy. It also pays for a liable party that doesn't have insurance, and in Texas that's one out of every four drivers. My very simple injury came to about 50K all told. Imagine the bill for someone who's really hurt.
 
Not preaching AT ALL, but what kind of gear were you wearing? Boots, jeans, etc. ?

I'm asking solely to maybe help someone else make an informed decision about riding gear.
 
scott s, I have strong opinions on riding gear, which I will relate LATER.

For now, it would be MOST HELPFUL to hear from ANYONE WHO HAS DONE THEIR OWN EMERGENCY ROOM BILL REDUCTION NEGOTIATIONS or from any lawyers. I'll PM my phone number to anyone who has too much to put into a forum post.

I have begun poring over my itemized bill. The bill is outrageously inflated. For example, the real cost of my CT scans, including taking the actual scans, and then interpreting them, is less than 10% of the 22K I am being billed.

Another example is a non-breath blood-alcohol test that I was administered (I assume from a blood sample). First off, why was I even given this test? I quit drinking a few years ago. I was lucid and conscious throughout my accident and its aftermath. Was it even legal for them to give me this test without my consent? Anyways, the cost of this test was $689. I have found three different sites that tell what you can expect to pay for specific procedures in your zip code. My blood-alcohol test should have cost $15. $689 is a mark-up of over 4000%.
 
DogBunny,

Do not attempt to do any of this yourself. Get a lawyer. All of this should be paid by the other drivers insurance company. When I had my accident a few years ago, every medical bill was paid in full, the bike was made whole and I got an additional $25,000 cash for pain and suffering. The lawyer got $6,000 of the $25,000 but remember that was after all the bills were paid.

Meanwhile, do not talk to the other party, her insurance company or anyone from the hospital billing department. Do not sign anything, do not agree to any offer from the insurance company. All of that will be handled by your lawyer as well as the legality of the blood alcohol test. In today's world there is absolutely no way for an ordinary mortal to understand or make correct decisions in these situations.
 
Pete, thanks. I will hire a lawyer when it comes to that.
I have to assume that the at-fault driver had minimal medical liability, which is 30K in Texas. The bike gets paid from a separate pool of money, reimbursement for it is no problem.

After the liable party's insurance co. pays out 30K they are off the hook. There is no incentive for them to get my medical bills reduced. I think the smarter route is for me to pay my bills myself, after I have negotiated them down. I will then be paid by the insurance co., and hopefully there will be something left over of the 30K for my considerable pain and suffering. For now, I think it is smarter to keep control of bill-paying in my own hands.

If I cannot negotiate my bills down to my satisfaction, that is when I will hire a lawyer, or a Patient Advocate. QUOTE:
A patient advocate is someone who is trained to negotiate on behalf of a patient with a medical organization. Often they work for government or non-profits. One such organization is the Patient Advocate Foundation.

BTW, time is on my side. By law, interest is not charged on medical bills. The thing to do is to act thoughtfully, and not make a move that cannot be reversed.
 
DogBunny I don't about there but here yes they can demand an alcohol test, by breath or blood and to refuse you automatically lose your license for a time period I can't remember.

@Pete, If the insurance carried in both instances were the same. But consider in DogBunnys instance she might not have anything other than the minimum and that is all it pays.

A hospitals interest in negotiating a bill is in direct relation to what ya got.
Live in an apartment with a old vehicle and nothing of value to sell, they will negotiate.
My son went through this as a poor debt ridden college grad that owned nothing.
The hos[ital was eager to get him on payments for a reduced amount. Something better than nothing.
Own your home? Car, boat, ag equipment, business equipment in your name? The hospital will not negotiate unless you can settle with cash in hand at that moment and then the markdown isn't that great.
Otherwise they already pay a staff of lawyers to get a court settlement.
They want their money and they want it now.
 
DogBunny said:
BTW, time is on my side. By law, interest is not charged on medical bills.
Click to expand...

A quick google search has me questioning this.
I know break room lawyers will tell you this. It is a popular belief.
BUT I do know of an instance locally where the hospital is charging interest on a payment plan. From what I read it is up to the institution and it varies, but legally they are allowed to charge interest. 6% on non-papered agreements, 18% on papered contracts?

Read Teri A. Walters answer here
http://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/my-medical-bill-has-been-sent-to-a-collection-agen-319665.html
 
weekendrider said:
DogBunny I don't about there but here yes they can demand an alcohol test, by breath or blood and to refuse you automatically lose your license for a time period I can't remember.

@Pete, If the insurance carried in both instances were the same. But consider in DogBunnys instance she might not have anything other than the minimum and that is all it pays.

A hospitals interest in negotiating a bill is in direct relation to what ya got.
Live in an apartment with a old vehicle and nothing of value to sell, they will negotiate.
My son went through this as a poor debt ridden college grad that owned nothing.
The hos[ital was eager to get him on payments for a reduced amount. Something better than nothing.
Own your home? Car, boat, ag equipment, business equipment in your name? The hospital will not negotiate unless you can settle with cash in hand at that moment and then the markdown isn't that great.
Otherwise they already pay a staff of lawyers to get a court settlement.
They want their money and they want it now.
Click to expand...
The police did not demand the blood alcohol test, at least not as far as I know, but who really knows?
Otherwise, you see things as I do.

Regarding your next posting, the one questioning if hospitals can charge interest: The no-interest rule is sacrosanct. Once you enter into a payment plan with the hospital, then things change. But until some type of agreement is reached, or if you make the mistake of sending the hospital some money with no agreement in place, interest is not charged.
 
fredintoon said:
Hi DogBunny,
I'm with pete, get a lawyer you blockhead!
You are no more fitted to fight a hospital's legal team than you are to sit at the kerbside and sew up your own leg.
Click to expand...
I can hire a lawyer at any time. Right now, all paths are open. Once I hire one, that door is closed.

I have a very powerful tool against the hospital's "legal team." And that is to simply not pay. They will eventually reach a point where they would rather get anything then to turn my bill over to a collector for pennies on the dollar.
In truth, I'm not dealing with a "hospital legal team," just with billing employees. "Not paying" is not my preferred strategy. The preferred strategy is to say that I will pay in full immediately if they give me an acceptable number. I've had many days of laying in bed with a computer to know that this is how it's done. My dealings with the insurance company might drag on for a couple of years, it's in the hospital's interest to settle with me and get paid by me now. You don't have to be a lawyer to pick up the phone and to ask billing to reduce your bill.
 
I'M WITH PAMCOPETE ON THIS GET AN ATTORNEY YOU'LL NEED ONE IT'S WELL WORTH THE 33% THEY CHARGE BEEN THERE DONE THAT,fought a bitch for 1 year tring to get my truck fixed ( well paid for it was totaled) and med bills paid got an attorney got truck paid for lost wages paid med bill's paid with in 1 month now the pain and suffering took 4 years.
Ok that door is already closed and you not paying wont even slow them down they have there own collection team and yes they don't charge intrest but they do late fee's I have been dealing with the medical billing bull shit for a long time ( broke my back and had surgery back in 2002 well over a million dollors ) even with ins. still cost me over 20k. fell 5 years ago damaged my knee cap with ins.cost me 10 k and then they billed me 3 times for the same thing and said they were not the same thing cause they had diffrent numbers on them ( same price down to the penney on 3 diffrent medical codes) and the ins wouldn't pay them had to go to cort over it and the corts said they were the same thing they were just tripple billing me,killed my credit rating,now dealing with the same shit with workers comp billing me for stuff they know BWC won't pay untill my attorney got involed,
 
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DogBunny,

It's different in each state, but here in South Carolina the medical coverage you have on your policy is a "no fault" coverage. Meaning that you can claim for your medical expenses and have them paid by YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY but the offending party is still liable.

If this is the way it works in Texas, then between your medical coverage on your policy and the other parties liability you can cover the medical bills.

This is the type of thing I am referring to when I recommend a lawyer because nobody involved has an incentive to inform you of your options. As far as being able to get a lawyer "at any time", you have to be careful because you may make an agreement with the hospital that the lawyer can't change for the better, so you would be tying his hands. If you really screw things up, you may not be able to find a lawyer who will take the case.
 
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It could vary according to your insurance provider also.
In MO, State Farm only offers a $1000 medical rider with motorcycle insurance.
$1000 don't get you very far. And it isn't hard to pencil the premiums soon cost more than 1K out of pocket.
 

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