If you’ve been injured in a car accident, you may be hearing a lot about medical liens. Many professionals throw this word around as if it is common knowledge to everyone, but the truth is that if you are not used to the personal injury world or have not been in an accident before, this could be a foreign phrase to you. So, what exactly is a medical lien and why is it important for you to understand this process after you’ve been in an accident?
A medical lien is an order that authorizes a payment of medical bills from your future settlement directly to a physician to cover your medical bills. In other words, if you have been injured in an accident and you have hired a personal injury attorney to help you reach a settlement due to your injuries, you are able to see a physician who works on a lien basis at no up-front cost to you. This doctor who works on a lien basis will provide you with the necessary care for nothing up front. Think of it as a form of credit, if you will. Once you reach your settlement in court, part of your settlement will go directly to the physician to cover any debts you have accumulated throughout the process.
A settlement can take up to a year to be reached, so not having to pay your doctor up front can be very important. It keeps you from having to suffer as your settlement progresses.
Here at Doctors on Liens, we have many different specialists who work on a lien basis available to you in your time of need. We have accumulated a list of over 200 offices throughout Northern and Southern California to make finding a doctor who works on a lien as simple as possible. Be sure to check out our list of pre-screened specialists who work on a lien basis here. And read more about Doctors on Liens here.
