When a settlement finally arrives, clients are often surprised that a chunk of it is already spoken for. That’s usually because of medical liens, and the good news is they’re often negotiable.
How a Lien Works
A medical lien is a legal claim against your settlement. Instead of billing you while your case is pending, a provider or insurer agrees to wait and be paid from your recovery. Oregon law gives hospitals a statutory lien on personal injury settlements for the reasonable value of care (Oregon Revised Statutes 87.555, Oregon State Legislature, oregonlegislature.gov).
Liens commonly come from:
- Hospitals and emergency departments
- Chiropractors, physical therapists, and specialists treating on a lien basis
- Your health insurer, seeking reimbursement for what it paid
- Medicare or the Oregon Health Plan, which have their own reimbursement rights
Where Negotiation Comes In
This is where having an attorney changes the math. Lance has built a long record of negotiating liens down, and providers are far more willing to talk to a lawyer than to a patient calling on their own.
Reductions often come from:
- Auditing bills for duplicate charges or treatment unrelated to the crash
- Arguing that charges exceed the reasonable value of services
- Applying Oregon’s rules limiting recovery when the settlement is modest
- Negotiating a proportional share when policy limits fall short (common in underinsured motorist cases)
Let Us Handle the Bills
Whether your injuries came from a car accident, a slip and fall, or a motorcycle crash, you deserve to keep as much of your settlement as possible. Contact Youd Law for a free case review. No recovery, no fee.