How Do Medical Liens Affect My Personal Injury Settlement?

When you’ve been injured in an accident that is someone else’s fault, you can bring a claim to be reimbursed for your losses and damages. Since it can take a while for these claims to go through, it’s common to need some help with the medical bills. Talk with a personal injury attorney in Augusta, GA today to find out more about what a medical lien means for your particular case and how to protect yourself.

How Do Medical Liens Affect My Personal Injury Settlement?

Medical liens are important because most people simply don’t have the money to pay for medical care out-of-pocket. Doctors and hospitals are often willing to provide treatment with a medical lien in place, meaning that they will be paid out of your settlement once it is finalized. Your personal medical insurance company may also pay your bills, but they will put a lien on your settlement, as well.

The Pros

The most important pro, of course, is that a lien allows you to get the treatment that you need immediately. This means you can get prompt medical help, and getting help quickly is usually key to the most successful outcome. Medical liens are also helpful because it’s difficult to settle a personal injury case until you’ve reached what is called “maximum medical improvement.” Since it’s hard to speculate about how much treatment might cost or how much treatment might be required, it’s preferred for settlements to be arranged only after treatment is concluded whenever possible.

Of course, in some situations this is not possible. When your injuries are particularly catastrophic, it can often take years to get to full recovery. Overall, medical liens allow you to get the treatment you need and leave your settlement question to be dealt with later.

The Cons (And How Your Augusta, GA Personal Injury Attorney Can Help)

The first and primary downside to a lien is that, if you don’t win a settlement at all, you still owe money for your medical treatment. It’s helpful if you talk to a personal injury lawyer in Augusta as soon as possible after your accident. Your lawyer can give you an idea of the likelihood of winning your claim and can also often connect you with doctors and hospitals who will agree to delay payment until your settlement.

Another downside is that you need to calculate for the medical lien. You don’t want to be shocked to receive a lot less money than you thought you were going to from a settlement, so make sure you’re planning everything carefully with your lawyer. A final downside is that medical providers are not above padding out their bills in this situation and claiming more money than they really deserve. It’s absolutely critical that you have a lawyer protecting you so that you don’t lose a single dime out of your settlement beyond what your medical provider actually provided or your insurance company actually paid out.

For help with your claim and to protect your settlement, contact us at Davis, Chapman, & Wilder in Augusta, GA now.

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