Reducing Guadalupe’s $52,400 Hospital Lien
In February, Guadalupe was driving west on Business 83 towards the intersection with Lewis Lane in Harlingen. A second driver was traveling south on Lewis Lane towards Business 83. There is a stop sign on Lewis Lane that directs southbound drivers to stop and yield the right-of-way to east and westbound traffic, which is not required to stop. Unfortunately, the other driver ran the stop sign and caused Guadalupe to collide into the second vehicle’s driver-side door. After an on-scene investigation, the responding police officer cited the other driver with “Failure to Yield at Stop Intersection” and held the driver responsible for the collision.
An ambulance transported Guadalupe to a Harlingen hospital from the scene of the accident. The ER physician ordered imaging studies and discharged Guadalupe approximately four hours later. No one at the hospital informed Guadalupe of the hospital’s charges before or during his visit. Weeks after, Guadalupe received a $52,400.00 bill for an ER visit that did not require admission into the hospital.
After returning home, Guadalupe continued to experience pain, so his wife called my office for a consultation. Guadalupe hired my law firm, and we immediately notified the responsible driver’s insurance company of our representation. The liability carrier ultimately accepted responsibility for its driver’s negligence and agreed to pay the maximum settlement required by Texas law. Unfortunately, Guadalupe’s $52,400.00 hospital lien accounted for almost two times the value of that settlement. To increase Guadalupe’s recovery, my office and I turned our attention to the hospital’s excessive charges.
As expected, the hospital filed a lien with the Cameron County Clerk’s Office approximately one month after the accident. By filing a lien, the hospital earned the right to be paid before anyone else, including Guadalupe. To help him, my office contacted the hospital and threatened a lawsuit to challenge its lien and excessive charges. A few weeks later, the hospital agreed to reduce its bill to less than 10% of its initial rate, allowing Guadalupe to receive compensation for his injuries.
If you or a loved one receives notice of a hospital lien for excessive or unreasonable charges following a car crash or other accident, you have enough things to worry about. Do not let dealing with and negotiating a hospital lien be one of them. We deal with hospital liens so you can focus on getting your life back to normal. You have one chance to do this; make the right choice by choosing the right attorney. Call us at (956) 291-7870 or email us at contact@rdjlawyer.com for a free consultation and case evaluation.