Chapter 55 of the Texas Property Code allows hospitals to file liens for patients who were admitted to the hospital within 72 hours of an accident. They do this to ensure that their bill gets paid. The lien is usually filed in the county in which the client receives the medical services and attached to personal injury settlements when the visit is caused by the negligence of somebody else.
The logic is that if somebody’s negligence is the reason you went to the hospital, their liability insurance policy (the same one we will file against) should be responsible for the bill. We have extensive experience in negotiating and resolving these liens so that our clients get the best settlement possible.
However, if there’s a lien filed, the bill MUST be paid out of the settlement, even at a reduced amount.