INJURY | PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER | PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY | INJURIES

Identity theft is becoming an increasingly common threat faced by all Americans. Identity theft involves someone stealing personal information about you that can be used to purchase goods, withdraw money from your account, obtain false IDs, etc.

• One-quarter of identity thefts involve someone you know. Don’t give your personal information out to anyone!
• Don’t assume your workplace is safe either! Don’t record personal info on your work computer or leave papers in your desk for others to discover.
• Make sure your laptop is password encrypted, so if it is stolen it can’t be utilized for your personal information.
• Shred all personal documents.
• Only carry the most necessary info in your wallet, including one credit card that says “SEE ID” on the back instead of containing your signature.
• Don’t list your social security number on your driver’s license or anywhere else that thieves might find it.
• Consider just putting your initials on your bank checks, and don’t include your address or home phone number.
• Never give out any personal information over the phone.
• Monitor your accounts each month and look for transactions you didn’t make.

Medical expenses are often difficult to pay, and families become burdened by bills after multiple or serious injuries and illnesses. As people age and as families grow larger, medical expenses also increase. However, not all medical expenses are the patient’s responsibility. In cases of medical malpractice and product recall, doctors, hospitals and manufacturers should bear the brunt, if not all, of the medical expense.

Medical expenses are often not completely covered by insurance companies when they should be. Sometimes, in cases of insurance fraud, insurance companies will not pay medical expenses that they are suppose to cover. This often happens when medical expenses are incurred after automobile accidents or when patients file worker’s compensation claims.

When choosing an insurance provider, you should be careful to read the fine print, be wary of paying in cash or providing a year’s worth of payments, and avoid signing a blank insurance form.

Make sure you know which medical expenses are deductible on your taxes as well, and choose the right tax forms. You can deduct payments for diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment and prevention of your illness or injury, which includes any mental illness. However, medical expenses must total more than 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income before you can claim medical expenses as a deduction on your tax forms.

Most importantly, know your rights. Medical expenses might not be your responsibility if:

• there has been medical malpractice, such as negligence and failure to accurately diagnose, treat or prevent an illness
• you receive an injury that could have been prevented under certain circumstances, such as dog bites; injuries from a car, plane or motorcycle accident; injuries from defective products; falls; work-related accidents; assaults; chemical or asbestos exposure, etc.
• you are a recipient of a recalled medical device
• you believe your insurance company is supposed to pay
• medical expenses are deductible on your tax forms and amount to more than 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income

This list does not include all of the possible instances for which someone else should pay your medical expenses. Contact a medical malpractice attorney or a personal injury attorney so that you can better understand your rights.