One of the things plaintiffs involved in personal injury lawsuits worry about is how their medical bills are going to be paid while they wait for financial compensation. The initial impetus to file a personal injury lawsuit for many plaintiffs is to get compensation needed to pay for expensive medical treatment. Indeed, it may bring some comfort that your medical expenses will be paid once your case is successful and finished, but that does little to get rid of any apprehension about what happens to your medical bills before that point. When you have sudden, large medical bills that go unpaid, they go into what is called “collections.” Collections are when an overdue medical bill is “sold” to a debt collection company. When that happens, you may experience unwanted solicitations from the debt collection company. This can be incredibly distressing when you are already dealing with serious injuries.
Fortunately, you have options. If you have any kind of insurance that can help to cover some of your medical bills while you wait for a lawsuit to resolve itself. Additionally, our attorneys can help protect you if you are being hounded by debt collection agencies. Ultimately, it is best that you focus on recovering from your injuries and filing a personal injury lawsuit.
For free help with your case, call our Tennessee personal injury lawyers from Howe Law at (844) 876-4357.
What does it Mean for Medical Bills to “Go to Collections?”
Collections happen when medical bills that are past due are sent to a debt collection agency. Hospitals generally have a department focused on dealing with unpaid bills or expenses. When this department has had enough of trying to collect a debt or simply does not want to try and collect it themselves, they sell this debt to a dedicated debt collection company.
A debt company may call or solicit you frequently or even seek wage garnishment or liens on your property. While this may sound scary, our Knoxville, TN personal injury lawyers can fight hard to make sure you are treated fairly up to and during your lawsuit.
What Do Hospitals Do When You Have Medical Bills in Collections and File a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Tennessee?
You may be wondering how hospitals act when you have medical bills in collections and subsequently file a lawsuit. Generally, hospitals want their bills paid, so they will work very hard to get you to pay them. However, if you call our lawyers quickly, we can help you deal with hospitals and debt collection companies so that you can focus on your recovery.
It generally takes about six months for bills to go into collections. This means that you have a short window to lawyer up and start protecting yourself and your case. If you call our lawyers quickly enough, we may even be able to work out a deal where your bills do not go to collections because you are actively seeking financial compensation in a lawsuit.
Can I Fight Against Collections for Medical Bills When Filing a Tennessee Personal Injury Lawsuit?
If you are in the process of pursuing a personal injury claim, you have options to fight against medical bills going into collections. Ultimately, the hospital is concerned with getting paid, so having an assurance that they will get paid at some point in the future can make them less zealously go after your bills. Below are some of the options that may be available to you.
Payment Plants
Our Chattanooga, TN personal injury lawyers may be able to work out a payment plan with the hospital where you give them a small amount of repayment each month while you wait for your lawsuit to resolve itself. However, this will depend on the hospital in question for your case, so it is best to have our lawyers speak with them about this possibility.
Insurance Coverage
Our lawyers can also work to have insurance pay part of your expenses. Naturally, insurance companies do not always want to pay out their policies, but we can negotiate and work with your insurance to make sure that you are covered financially while you are recouping from your injuries.
In Tennessee, when you sue someone for injuring you, the claim ultimately goes against their insurance company. In the meantime, your insurance may be able to cover you in exchange for a portion of the damages you will win later from the defendant’s insurance.
Additionally, insurance may not cover everything. Depending on your policy, some of your injuries may be covered and some may need to be temporarily paid out of pocket. Our lawyers can examine your policy and walk you through how to handle your unique situation.
Collections When a Personal Injury Lawsuit is Pending in Tennessee
If your bills do go into collections when your case is pending, you are not out of options. In this instance, our lawyers will be dealing with whatever entity is trying to collect the debt. Our lawyers can try and fight against these debt collectors, and there are a number of ways to go about that process.
First, we can make them prove that the debt is valid. They will be able to do this in most cases, but this can create breathing room. Second, there are certain rules about how debt collectors must act when trying to collect. If a debt collection company is overzealous, we may be able to take legal action against them.
Ultimately, it is best to act quickly before medical debt goes into collections so that you and our lawyers can focus on recovering from your injuries and recovering damages in a lawsuit.
Speak to Our Tennessee Personal Injury Attorneys Right Away
Do not hesitate to call our Spring Hill, TN personal injury lawyers from Howe Law at (844) 876-4357 to discuss your case.
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