Will I have to pay for my medical bills out of pocket?

The short answer is, it depends on how you got hurt, who hurt you, and on the insurance coverage and other resources available to pay for your medical costs.

For example, if you are a New Jersey driver who gets into a motor vehicle accident, then your personal injury protection (PIP) insurance will usually serve as the primary insurance coverage to pay for medical costs associated with your injuries, regardless of who was at fault in the accident. Drivers can carry between $15,000 and $250,000 PIP insurance. If you exhaust your PIP coverage or do not have PIP insurance, then you can usually still turn to your personal health insurance to pay for medical costs (subject, of course, to copays, deductibles, and coverage limits). In some cases, however, you may also have the right to seek compensation from the at fault party in the accident. Speak with a lawyer to learn more.

In other circumstances in which you sustain an injury, your personal health insurance (if you have it) will typically cover your medical costs, and (as above) you may also have the ability to seek compensation through legal action.