A $70K Lien, Reduced In Full
I speak a lot about making sure we secure a good recovery for our clients but that is only half the battle. We also work hard to reduce any outstanding bills and liens our clients have.
We represented "Karen" for a head-on collision in 2016, that went all the way up to the trial date, and were able to secure a great settlement – more than three times her medical bills. Even after this, Medicare asserted a lien for more than the case resolved for, even threatening to cut off Karen's benefits!
We reviewed this lien, and challenged the charges, with all of the nearly $70K in bills being unrelated.
My team challenged this lien for 2 years, including taking the dispute all the way to an administrative law judge. After two years of work, they were able to get the lien dismissed in full.
We don't take a fee for the efforts we take to ensure our clients' bills are taken care of, and consider it a part of our responsibility in representing them.
What are Lien Reductions?
Liens are a huge part of any personal injury case, whether you are on the defense or plaintiff's side of the "v." Cases where liens are not at issue are rare. Both the defendant and the plaintiff want the liens completely resolved. More and more, defendants are requiring it.
So, what are lien reductions? On the surface level, it's exactly what it sounds like. We work with the lienholders to reduce their liens to fair levels – fair to both the client and service provider – but in extreme conditions, we can end up reducing them to $0.
As a service to clients, I try to reduce liens as much as possible. This obviously puts more money in the client's pocket. It is important not only to only to maximize the settlement amount on the front end, but also to minimize any liens on the back end. Lien resolution gives finality to the outstanding medical bills for the injured party.
Although managing and resolving liens is crucial, it can be overlooked, an afterthought or dreaded. Do the opposite – take on liens head on, discuss them with the client, the other side and the lienholder, during settlement talks.
At the end of the day, our clients hire us to get them the maximum compensation for their claim. This is just another piece of that puzzle.