Short answer: usually no, but you sometimes should. Long answer involves med-pay, health insurance, subrogation, and the timing of when bills come due.
Someone else hit you. They were 100% at fault. The police report says so. So why is your own insurance company asking for information, and why are some friends telling you to file with your own carrier first?
Because the at-fault driver's insurance pays at the end. Your bills are due at the beginning. Bridging that gap is what your own coverage is sometimes for.
How a not-at-fault accident actually unfolds
The at-fault carrier's bodily injury settlement is a single lump sum at the end of the case. They don't pay your hospital bills as they come in. They pay one number, after treatment is complete and a demand has been negotiated. That's typically months, sometimes years, after the wreck.
In the meantime, the hospital wants to be paid. The MRI center sends a bill. Physical therapy starts billing weekly. None of those providers care that someone else is at fault. They just want the bill paid. That's where your own coverage comes in.
Med-pay (or PIP in some states)
Most auto policies include 'medical payments' coverage. Usually $1,000, $5,000, or $10,000. It pays your medical bills regardless of fault, with no deductible. It's separate from your liability coverage, doesn't affect your rates, and isn't subrogated against you.
Med-pay is the cleanest source of immediate medical payment. If you have it, use it. The at-fault settlement at the end won't be reduced by what med-pay paid. It's stacked, not double-counted, in most situations.
Health insurance. Yes, with a catch
Health insurance pays accident-related medical bills, with the same copays and deductibles as any other medical care. Use it. The catch: your health insurer will likely assert a subrogation lien on your eventual settlement to recoup what they paid.
How that lien is calculated depends on the type of plan: ERISA-governed self-funded plans have stronger reimbursement rights than fully-insured state-regulated plans. The lien is usually negotiable. Sometimes substantially so. But it has to be addressed at settlement.
Collision coverage. For the car
Your collision coverage repairs your vehicle regardless of fault, minus your deductible. The at-fault carrier should ultimately reimburse the deductible, but that takes time. If you need your car fixed quickly, collision is the fast track. If you can wait, the at-fault carrier's property damage coverage avoids the deductible.
What you should NOT do with your own insurance
- Don't give your own carrier a recorded statement before knowing what's at stake. Your statements can be discoverable later.
- Don't accept a quick total-loss valuation without comparison shopping. Carrier valuations often run low.
- Don't sign a med-pay subrogation waiver casually. Some carriers ask for documents that affect the eventual settlement.
- Don't assume your carrier is looking out for you. They're a business, and you're a cost to them.
Why this matters for the eventual settlement
When the case settles, every dollar paid by your own coverage may need to be repaid out of the settlement (depending on the source). That's not a bad thing. Those dollars kept the bills from going to collections. But it has to be tracked. A settlement of $25,000 with $3,000 in med-pay used and $8,000 in health-insurance-paid bills means the actual net to you is calculated after liens. That's a normal personal injury case. The mistake is settling without knowing what the liens are.
Your own coverage bridges the gap between today's bills and tomorrow's settlement. Use what you have, but track what you use.
Health insurance subrogation, med-pay coordination, and lien negotiation depend on the specific plan and policy. This is general information, not legal advice.