Stephen Schultz | August 26, 2026 | Personal Injury
If you are hit by a car while walking, several sources may pay your medical bills depending on your insurance coverage and who caused the crash. Your health insurance may cover treatment initially, while the at-fault driver’s auto insurance may ultimately be responsible for your accident-related losses.
Understanding who pays your medical bills after you were hit by a car is especially important because medical providers generally do not wait for a personal injury claim to settle before seeking payment.
Does the Driver’s Insurance Pay My Medical Bills?
If a driver negligently hits a pedestrian, the driver’s bodily injury liability insurance may cover the pedestrian’s medical expenses.
However, liability insurance usually does not pay each medical bill as treatment occurs. The insurer typically investigates the accident and resolves covered damages through a settlement or judgment.
This means you may need another way to pay medical expenses while the injury claim is pending.
Can I Use My Health Insurance?
Yes. If you have health insurance, you can generally use it for treatment after a pedestrian accident.
Your health insurer may pay covered expenses subject to your deductible, copays, and other policy terms. If you later recover compensation from the at-fault driver, the insurer may have a right to seek reimbursement from the settlement in some circumstances.
Keep your medical bills, insurance statements, and payment records so you can document what was charged and who paid each expense.
Can Auto Insurance Cover Me Even Though I Was Walking?
Potentially. Some auto insurance coverage can follow the insured person rather than only applying when that person is inside a vehicle.
For example, medical payments coverage may provide benefits for certain accident-related medical expenses depending on the policy. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage may also become important if the driver who hit you has no insurance or does not have enough coverage.
The available benefits depend on the specific policies involved.
What If the Driver Who Hit Me Was Uninsured?
Missouri requires drivers to carry uninsured motorist coverage, which can provide protection when an uninsured driver causes bodily injury.
A pedestrian may be covered through their own auto policy or, in some cases, another applicable policy. Coverage questions can depend on policy language and the injured person’s relationship to the insured.
Hit-and-run accidents can raise additional insurance issues, particularly when the driver cannot be identified.
What If I Was Partly Responsible for the Accident?
A pedestrian can share responsibility for a collision. For example, fault may become disputed if the pedestrian crossed against a signal or entered the roadway unexpectedly.
Missouri follows a pure comparative fault system. This means an injured pedestrian’s compensation can be reduced by their percentage of responsibility, but being partly at fault does not automatically prevent recovery.
If your damages were $100,000 and you were found 20% responsible, for example, your recovery could be reduced to $80,000.
What Medical Expenses Can a Pedestrian Claim Include?
A pedestrian injury claim may include reasonable medical expenses caused by the collision.
Depending on the injuries, these expenses may include:
- Ambulance transportation
- Emergency room care
- Hospital stays
- Surgery
- Doctor visits
- Physical therapy
- Prescription medication
- Medical equipment
- Future treatment
Serious pedestrian injuries may require months or years of care, so a claim should consider expected future treatment as well as bills already received.
What If the Driver’s Insurance Offers a Quick Settlement?
An insurance company may offer to resolve a pedestrian injury claim before treatment is complete.
Accepting a settlement generally ends the claim, which can create problems if additional treatment or complications arise later. Before accepting an offer, you should understand the extent of your injuries, outstanding medical bills, and whether future care is expected.
Medical expenses are also only one part of a personal injury claim. Lost income, pain and suffering, and other losses may also be recoverable.
How Long Do I Have to File a Pedestrian Injury Claim in Missouri?
Missouri generally provides a five-year deadline for many personal injury lawsuits.
Waiting that long can make proving the accident more difficult. Surveillance footage can disappear, witnesses can become harder to locate, and other evidence may be lost.
Contact a Creve Coeur Personal Injury Lawyer at Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation
If you were hit by a car while walking, determining how your medical bills will be paid can involve several insurance policies and sources of compensation. Understanding your options can help you protect your financial interests while you recover.
Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers represents injured pedestrians throughout Creve Coeur and the surrounding areas. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with a Creve Coeur personal injury lawyer and learn more about your legal options.
We proudly serve all throughout Missouri, including St. Louis County and Boone County and we have offices in St. Louis, Ladue, Columbia, Creve Coeur.
Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers – St. Louis Office
319 N 4th Street, Suite 835, St. Louis, MO 63102
(314) 444-4444
Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers – Columbia Office
28 N 8th St # 502, Columbia, MO 65201
(573) 702-3285
Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers – Ladue Office
9807 S 40 Dr, St. Louis, MO 63124
(314) 912-3302
Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers – Creve Coeur Office
999 Executive Pkwy Dr #205, Creve Coeur, MO 63141
(314) 350-4021
