You were at a friend’s house in New Hampshire for a party last night, and you ended up falling on a broken stair and twisting your ankle. You had to seek medical care and will not be able to put weight on your ankle for a few weeks, which is a huge inconvenience. You will probably have to miss at least a few days of work, plus the medical bills were an expense you did not budget for. What should you do?

You may not think about it right away, but your friend should have homeowner’s insurance that will pay for your expenses. Perhaps you are afraid of hurting your friend by filing a claim. You do not want to see his insurance rates rise because of this accident.

You can relax. According to Bankrate, if your friend files a claim for medical payments only, his insurance should cover it without an increase in his rates. However, if you file the claim or you want payment for missing work, then that falls under liability coverage and will impact your friend’s insurance rates. It is really your call and depends on what you need financially.

The medical coverage only is often called good neighbor coverage. It enables your friend to submit a claim for medical expenses only and not have a hit on his insurance which would increase his rates. This is a coverage that is in place to prevent issues like this where you fear hurting your friend by making a claim but you need the money to pay the medical bills. Your friend does not face higher rates, and you get your medical bills handled. This information is for education and is not legal advice.