What steps are needed to claim travel expenses for medical appointments in a personal injury case?
Claiming Travel Expenses for Medical Appointments After a North Carolina Accident
Detailed Answer
North Carolina lets injured people recover the reasonable and necessary costs of receiving medical treatment. That includes out-of-pocket travel costs—mileage, parking, tolls, ride-share fares, hotel stays, and similar expenses—when the trips are directly tied to injury care. Below is a step-by-step roadmap to preserve and claim those dollars.
1. Track Every Trip in Real Time
Create a mileage log. Record the date, destination (doctor’s office, physical therapist, imaging center), round-trip miles, and purpose.
Keep all receipts for parking, tolls, bus or ride-share fares, and overnight lodging when treatment is far from home.
Note any extra costs such as airport shuttles or wheelchair-accessible transportation.
2. Use One of Two Valuation Methods
IRS Standard Mileage Rate. Multiply total medical-related miles by the current IRS medical mileage rate (e.g., 22¢ per mile in 2024). This method is widely accepted by insurers and courts because it is easy to verify.
Actual Costs. Add up gas receipts, maintenance invoices attributable to the trips, and depreciation. Choose this only if it clearly exceeds the IRS rate and you have rock-solid proof.
3. Tie the Expense to Treatment
Under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 8-58.1, an affidavit from your health-care provider or medical-records custodian can authenticate “charges for medical care and related expenses.” Ask the provider to reference your travel requirements—especially if you needed a specialty clinic outside your county.
4. Present the Claim to the Insurance Adjuster
Include a mileage spreadsheet and scanned receipts in your demand letter.
Attach the provider affidavit and a short personal declaration stating that the trips were necessary for treatment.
Request reimbursement for the total travel figure as a separate line item.
5. Preserve Evidence for Litigation
If the case does not settle, you can enter your travel costs at trial through:
Your own testimony supported by the mileage log (admissible as a summary of voluminous records under N.C. Rule of Evidence 1006).
The medical-expense affidavit or live testimony from a provider confirming the necessity of the visits.
Exhibits showing receipts and the IRS mileage table for the year(s) in question.
6. Mind the Statute of Limitations
You generally have three years from the accident date to file a personal injury lawsuit in North Carolina (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-52(16)). Keep your documentation for at least that long—longer if the claim involves a minor.
Helpful Hints
Use a smartphone app to auto-track mileage; export a PDF when you are ready to settle.
Store hard-copy receipts in a single envelope labeled “Travel Expenses.”
Combine appointments when possible to reduce total mileage—insurers look for reasonableness.
Update your log weekly; memories fade, and back-filling data looks suspicious.
Ask your doctor to note in the chart when they refer you to an out-of-county specialist—this links the travel to medical necessity.
If you use public transit, print the route and fare information from the transit authority’s website as proof.
Save screenshots of ride-share receipts; the apps purge data after a time.
Take the Next Step
Travel expenses may seem minor, but they add up—especially when treatment spans months. Proper documentation ensures you recover every dollar you have spent getting well. If you have questions about valuing or presenting these costs, or if an insurer is refusing to reimburse them, our experienced North Carolina personal injury attorneys are ready to help. Call us today at 919-313-2737 for a free, no-pressure case review.
