What Happens to My Medical Bills at Settlement?

A successful personal injury lawsuit will, in most cases, lead to a settlement that encompasses the medical bills you owe.

By understanding what happens to your medical bills at settlement and consulting with a Mississippi personal injury lawyer, you can better seek the compensation you deserve.

How do medical bills impact a personal injury lawsuit?

Personal injury lawsuits involve medical bills in one form or another. And, with this in mind, a successful outcome means that those medical bills will be taken care of, often on top of further damages.

Just as an example, if you are in a car accident and sustain a major brain injury, you could owe hundreds of thousands of dollars in hospital, medication, and diagnosis costs. These costs are on top of the money you may have lost due to being unable to work, as well as the long-term pain and suffering created by this brain injury.

Some of the medical bills you can recover through a personal injury lawsuit are as follows:

• Hospitalization costs
• ER visits
• Doctor’s visits
• Physical therapy costs
• Long-term care costs
• Medical tests
• Surgery costs
• Prescription medication fees

Some of the other damages you can receive compensation for through a personal injury lawsuit are as follows:

• The depression and loss of enjoyment of life caused by the injury.
• The pain and suffering caused by the injury.
• The wages you lost due to the injury.
• The property damage associated with the injury.
• The long-term earnings you may lose due to the injury.

What happens to your medical bills at settlement?

The answer to this question depends on the details of your case. Sometimes, medical providers and insurance companies have contractual rights to reimbursement from your settlement. If you worked with a government-sponsored healthcare provider, like Medicare and Medicaid, they might also have a legal right to a portion of the settlement.

On the other hand, if you have been using your own funds to address your medical bills—and they have already been paid—the money for these medical bills, in the settlement, will belong to you, after payment of any valid liens and legal fees associated with your case, including court and filing costs.

To ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve, you might want to work with a personal injury lawyer. Your lawyer may be able to help you obtain a settlement that covers your medical bills. They may also negotiate arrangements with any providers that let you keep a portion of settlement money, instead of being forced to use it for bills.

What do you get after your medical bills have been paid off?

After your medical bills and legal fees have been paid in full, the remainder of the settlement often compensates for other losses, such as lost income or pain and suffering.

What happens if your medical bills are greater than your settlement?

Your medical bills can be greater than the settlement you receive. And, if this is the case, you can negotiate with your medical care providers.

For example, if you receive a $200,000 settlement, but owe $250,000, you can negotiate a reduced balance. This way, instead of needing to pay $250,000, you may only need to pay $175,000.

Negotiating a reduced balance is tricky. You may want to work with an experienced personal injury lawyer to help you. An attorney can help you obtain the settlement you deserve, while making sure you keep as much of it as possible.

How can your lawyer help with medical bills?

Getting you the best possible settlement

To help with your medical bills, your lawyer will work to get you the best possible settlement. This settlement can encompass all of the medical bills you owe, as well as a multitude of other damages that pertain to your injury.

A good example of the above is as follows: your lawyer could argue that you are entitled to payment for your medical bills, as well as a settlement that encompasses all of the future wages you may have lost due to the severity of your injury. This way, you’re getting paid for what you lost and what you may lose in the long term.

You may end up in negotiations with the other party. If so, your lawyer can negotiate for what you need. Or, if your case goes to trial, your lawyer will argue for what you need in a courtroom.

Negotiating the medical bills you owe

Your lawyer will negotiate the medical bills and liens you owe. This way, you can keep more of your settlement, as opposed to giving up settlement funds in order to pay off your medical bills.

For example, if you owe $40,000 and are set to receive $50,000, your lawyer may be able to negotiate those bills down to $30,000. This might help you keep more of the settlement you receive.

Making sure that what you owe is paid off

You could receive the rest of the money from your settlement and then learn that there is still an outstanding medical bill that needs to be addressed. This can happen, especially if you don’t work with a lawyer. Your lawyer can help to avoid any unfortunate surprises arriving later on.

Contact a Mississippi personal injury lawyer today

Our team at Merkel & Cocke, P.A. has helped many people obtain the settlements they deserve. Contact one of our Mississippi personal injury lawyers using this form. We are ready to help you.