What Is a Medical Lien – and Can It Be Reduced?
A medical lien is a claim against your settlement or verdict for healthcare expenses in a personal injury case. It is possible to reduce a lien through negotiations. A Pittsburgh personal injury attorney can help you pursue fair compensation and attempt to minimize liens against the money you recover.
How Do Medical Liens Work?
Personal injury compensation is money from a negotiated settlement or a verdict rendered at trial. Compensation is for damages (i.e., financial loss and pain and suffering) resulting from your injury.
When a doctor provides medical treatment after an accident, they have the legal right to place a lien on your compensation for the cost of their services. A lien is a legally enforceable claim for payment. In some states, state statutes dictate the terms of medical liens. In Pennsylvania, there are no commonwealth laws regarding healthcare liens. Instead, liens are made via a contract with the healthcare provider.
How Can You Reduce a Medical Lien?
You can reduce a medical lien through negotiations. You should contact the lien holder, explain your request, and make a payment offer. Be prepared for an outright refusal or for counteroffers.
Hiring an attorney to negotiate your lien early in the process can benefit you. A lawyer can use their legal experience, negotiation skills, and knowledge of the healthcare system to increase the chances of a reduction. Working with an attorney can also signal to the lien holder that you are prepared to fight to reduce your payments and will not back down.
What Other Damages Can You Recover with a Personal Injury Claim?
In addition to compensation for medical expenses, a personal injury settlement or verdict may include the following types of damages:
- Lost Income – Including lost wages and benefits from missed work and reductions to your future earning capacity
- Household Service – Including the cost of assistance with cooking, cleaning, transportation, and other tasks you cannot perform because of your injury
- Pain and Suffering – Including monetary awards for physical, mental, and emotional pain and suffering and lost quality of life
If your loved one suffered a fatal injury, qualifying survivors may also be able to seek compensation for wrongful death damages.
How Long Do You Have to Act?
You must seek compensation for personal injury losses within the deadline imposed by the statute of limitations. According to Pennsylvania law, you have two years to file a lawsuit. This deadline will also affect insurance settlement claims because you lose your leverage over the insurance company if time runs out.
Contact Ainsman Levine, LLC, for Help with a Medical Lien or Personal Injury Case
Ainsman Levine, LLC, can help with every stage of your personal injury case, from filing insurance claims to seeking fair compensation to negotiating medical lien reductions. If someone else’s mistakes caused your accident, you should not have to suffer the financial consequences. Let us pursue the money you deserve. Our Pittsburgh attorneys work on a contingency-fee basis, so our services cost nothing upfront or out of pocket. Contact us online or call today for a free consultation.