An accident victim’s health care costs pile up fast. For those who are fortunate enough to have good insurance, a lot of the bills will be paid by an insurance company.
The victim’s health insurer always expects the victim’s attorney to recover the health care costs from the wrongdoer, and to pay back the insurer. The insurer protects its legal right to repayment by filing a lien against the proceeds of the client’s lawsuit.
After the lawsuit is settled, the liens must be paid. Frequently the insurer will accept less than full amount of the lien, allowing the client to keep the rest. But that has to be negotiated, and each lien is different. Negotiating with the lien holders on my client’s behalf is an important part of my job.