It can be incredibly expensive to treat the injuries that occur in a car crash, slip and fall, or other accident. But, it can take months to reach a settlement in a personal injury case. Because of this, many personal injury victims wonder how they are supposed to pay their medical bills while they wait to recover compensation from the at-fault party. If you are filing a personal injury claim, it’s important to understand how hospital liens are used in personal injury cases.
How Hospital Liens Work in Personal Injury Cases
A lien is a claim for repayment that hospitals can file against your personal injury case. If a hospital files a lien, it is their way of acknowledging that they understand you cannot pay for medical treatment until the personal injury case has been resolved. Instead of demanding payment now, the hospital files a lien to ensure that they are paid whenever you recover compensation in your case.
For example, let’s say you are in a car accident caused by a reckless driver and go to a hospital for medical treatment. The doctor performs diagnostic tests and treats your injuries before releasing you from the hospital. If you are uninsured, the hospital would typically expect you to pay the bill for these services. But, if you make it clear that you are filing a personal injury claim, the hospital can file a lien against your case instead of sending the bill to you.
Health Insurance Liens
People with health insurance may also have to deal with liens on their personal injury case. Consider the example above again, but this time let’s say you are insured. If you are injured in a car accident and treated at a local hospital, the hospital will bill your insurance company for their services. Depending on the policy, the insurance company may pay for some or all of the bill. But either way, a lien may be filed against your case. Why? Health insurance companies have a right to file liens against personal injury cases if they covered the costs of the victim’s medical treatment. So, if you are insured and the insurance company pays the entire bill, you may not have a hospital lien against your case, but you may have a health insurance lien instead.
If you are ready to file a personal injury claim, contact Reisch Law Firm today. The personal injury attorneys on our team are committed to helping the injured recover the compensation they need to move forward in their lives. Schedule a free consultation today by calling 303-291-0555 or filling out this online form.
