Helping You Navigate Complex Legal Issues

What to do when being sued for outstanding medical debt

On Behalf of | Jun 13, 2019 | Medical Debt |

Few people here in Texas, or elsewhere for that matter, have the financial resources needed for extensive, and expensive, hospital care. A sudden serious illness or injury can wipe out a person’s finances in no time. That medical debt can follow him or her for months or years. Eventually, not being able to pay that debt could result in one or more lawsuits from medical providers.

Not knowing what to do when this happens could cause a Texas resident a great deal of stress and frustration. Taking certain steps could help relieve some of that stress and frustration and provide a way forward. First, it would be a mistake to ignore the lawsuit. The court could enter a default judgment against him or her that allows the medical provider to begin collection efforts.

Second, was the lawsuit served in accordance with the law? The person filing the lawsuit cannot just mail the documents. The plaintiff (the medical provider) must serve the lawsuit in a certain way in order for it to be legal. If an individual suddenly finds his or her wages garnished or a bank account levied without an explanation, it could be due to a default judgment that person knew nothing about because it was not properly served. In fact, it could turn out that the debt does not even belong to that individual, so some research needs to be done as quickly as possible under both these circumstances and when notice of the lawsuit is properly served.

Being sued for any reason can be disconcerting. When it has to do with medical debt, it could be even more so since this type of debt tends to run into the tens of thousands of dollars for a serious illness or injury. It may be that the best course of action would be to discuss the matter with an attorney as soon as possible in order to avoid any court deadlines passing before taking any action.