Can I Be Sued for Not Paying Medical Bills?

With escalating health care costs, many people find themselves in a significant amount of medical debt after seeking treatment. If you cannot afford to pay these medical bills, you could face several consequences. The medical provider has the right to sue you to try to collect any unpaid balance that you may owe.

Lawsuit

When you accumulate medical debt, the medical facility has the same rights as any other creditor. You owe them money and you guaranteed to pay it when you signed their paperwork. If you do not pay the balance or make arrangements to provide payments over time, they can file a lawsuit against you. When this happens, you will receive a summons from your local county courthouse. This document will request that you show up in court on a specific date.

Court Date

When you are given a court date on the document, you need to do your best to appear in court on that day. If you do not appear in court, the judgment will still be made against you. If you appear in court, the judge will typically be more lenient on you and could help you set up a repayment plan to pay off the debt. You could choose to get professional help from a lawyer or you could do this on your own.

Wage Garnishment

One of the potential consequences of a medical debt lawsuit is a wage garnishment. When you have a judgment issued against you, the creditor can then take the necessary steps to have your wages garnished. With this process, the medical facility uses the judgment to get a writ of execution from the court. With this order, the creditor can then work with your employer to get part of your wages garnished every time you get paid, until the debt is gone.

Bankruptcy

If the creditor gets a judgment against you and you are faced with a garnishment or some other payment arrangement that you cannot afford, you might consider filing for bankruptcy. Many people are led to bankruptcy from excessive medical bills. This will stop any wage garnishment or debt that you owe the medical facility. When in this situation, you should consult with a bankruptcy attorney to determine if this is the best option for you. If the debt is not that significant, the attorney may recommend other measures.