Should I Sign a Medical Lien?

In my experiences as a California personal injury lawyer, signing off on a medical lien agreement could be one of the worst mistakes you can make when you have been injured in a car accident. A medical lien agreement with a health provider means that your personal injury lawyer is obligated to pay your medical expenses billed by the provider directly from the proceeds of your personal injury claim. This applies even if your settlement is lower than your medical bills or if you don't even receive a settlement for the injuries suffered during your car accident. Therefore one of the biggest advantages of not signing into a medical lien agreement is that you get to keep a larger portion of your accident injury claim.

Maximize Your Personal Injury Settlement and Get Better Healthcare

If you aren't awarded a personal injury claim and you are signed into a lien, things can get really grim. It has also been my observation that compared to a medical bill that is covered by an insurance company, the health care expenses tend to be much higher under a lien agreement. The lien agreement provides no oversight of the appropriateness of services. As such, doctors under lien agreements often charge more and sometimes even over treat their patients. They do so because they are more interested in securing a constant flow of income from their patients. So by not signing a lien, you can position yourself for lower healthcare costs in the event that you are not awarded a personal injury settlement. Of course, once a patient signs a lien agreement, it is very difficult to get out of it. My last book The Seven Fatal Mistakes That Can Wreck Your California Personal Injury Claim provides several examples of such personal injury cases and car accident injury settlements and tackles the subject of medical lien agreements in much greater detail.

Consult a California Car Accident Injury Lawyer

In unfortunate event that you or your family members get injured in a car accident, you should be able to secure the best healthcare for you and your loved ones. This is essential not only because your family's health more important than anything else, but also because you are also required by law to get the proper healthcare so that the injuries suffered during the car crash do not get worse. If you fail to do so, and your injuries worsen, you will be held responsible for the worsening of your injuries and not the person who initially caused the injury. So if and when you are faced with such important decisions about various healthcare services and agreements, please consult a California car accident lawyer so that they can assist you in providing the best solution for the wellness of your family.

If you would like to know more about how to go about when you are presented with a medical lien, please visit our "Do It Yourself Car Accident Claim" page. Or if you would like to know what is the best way to choose a lawyer that best fits your needs, feel free to visit our "How To Choose A Lawyer" page.

Be on the Hit-and-Run Lookout

BISNAR | CHASE, in conjunction with WeTip, a leading anonymous crime reporting service and law enforcement advocacy non-profit organization, is launching a program intended to wipe out hit-and-runs in the state of California by offering rewards for tips leading to the arrest and felony conviction of hit-and-run drivers. See Hit-and-Run Reward for more details.

BISNAR | CHASE 2006-2010 Super Lawyers names outstanding lawyers from more than 60 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. BISNAR | CHASE has received this award for five consecutive years. Brian Chase was named one of the 2010 Top 50 Orange County Lawyers.