Tennessee Injury Law Center
The New York Times published an article this week detailing how many hospitals, one of which is in Tennessee (LeBonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis), have started suing their patients by the thousands for unpaid medical bills. Many of the patients had insurance and the hospitals were suing for deductibles and co-pays. According to the article, more than half of the reports to credit bureaus were a result of unpaid medical bills. Of course, in addition to the cost of litigation and the underlying medical bill, this affects people’s credit rating and overall financial health. Consider this from a study by the Commonwealth Fund:
43 percent had used up all their savings to pay their (medical) bills, 43 percent had received a lower credit rating as a result of their debt, 32 percent racked up debt on their credit cards, 18 percent said they had delayed education or career plans. People with lower incomes were particularly affected: 37 percent said they were unable to pay for basic necessities like food, heat or rent as a result of their (medical) bills.
Clearly, medical bills can be devastating to many families – even those with medical insurance. So how does this relate to a car accident or other injury-producing accident?
A large number of the people who call our office after an accident express their reluctance to file a claim or a lawsuit. They do not want to be seen as litigious and simply want to be taken care of following an accident that was not their fault. Of course, this is completely reasonable. They should be taken care of. The problem is, that more often than not, they are not taken care of. Insurance adjusters string them along trying to wear them down or make them a low-ball offer that does not cover their out of pocket expenses let alone the full amount of their damages. In the meantime, medical bills are piling up creating financial stress.
By calling one of our award-winning lawyers, we can help you with the myriad of problems caused by car accidents, dog bites, bicycle accident or any other type of injury-producing accident. As your lawyers, we do the following:
- Take control of the situation, so you can focus on your recovery. We will be responsible for gathering the necessary medical records and bills. This process can take months and cost thousands of dollars depending upon the extent of your injuries and medical treatment. We even advance the case for obtaining these documents. If we win, we are reimbursed for the cost. If your case is not successful, you do not owe us anything.
- We will handle all communication with the insurance company. No more sitting on hold, getting the run-around and the brush off.
- We can often negotiate with the medical providers and your insurance company to waive or reduce the amount of money you owe for medical care.
- We will ensure you are paid the proper amount of all your damages and not just some low-ball offer.
- In appropriate cases, we can help you set up trusts and other legal documents to ensure your settlement is protected and implemented properly.
So even if you are not the type to sue, we encourage you to contact one of our award-winning attorneys to make sure you are not sued and otherwise short-changed as result of an accident that was not your fault. The earlier you call following an accident the better. For more information on what happens after you hire us, click here.
We offer three convenient Middle Tennessee locations. And, if you need us to come to you, we will. Give us a call at one of the numbers below:
Nashville: 615-669-3993
Brentwood: 615-742-4880
Murfreesboro: 615-867-9900
Toll-Free: 866-812-8787