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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Posts
    2

    Question Sued Over an Unpaid Hospital Bill

    There is no money and only one source of income totaling avg of $350/week. I had to have surgery last year when my husband was working. Since that time he has hurt his back and we are totally dependent on my income. He has since went back to school in the hopes he will be able to rejoin the workforce in the spring of 2012. I knew I owed the hospital $500 but had noway of paying any of the money. We are on food stamps and my children are on Medicaid. Now the hospital is suing me for $2600 plus court cost in small claims court. This comes with the threat of garnishing my already low wages or putting some kind of judgment on our house.

    My question is this: What can I or should I do? There is no way to pay and not enough time or money to file for bankruptcy.

    Now I have read other post and the flames that followed, and I really don't need anymore stress. If you planned to post "you received services therefore pay it" please read above!!!

    Will the judge garnish my wages? What can I do so as to make the small claims court law suit go away and just have them post it on my credit?
    Should I even reply to the claim or not?

    I have an old teeshirt that says "You have your whole life to be a jerk why not take today off" pls remember this in your post...

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Posts
    9,096

    Default Re: Let the Flaming Begin

    So you want to start your relationship with the volunteers here by admonishing us for behavior.

    Really?

    Good luck with your case. I actually had a pretty good answer for you.

    Wouldn't want to accidentally offend you.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    MD
    Posts
    101

    Default Re: Let the Flaming Begin

    Quote Quoting ThgilnE
    View Post
    My question is this: What can I or should I do?

    Now I have read other post and the flames that followed, and I really don't need anymore stress. If you planned to post "you received services therefore pay it" please read above!!!
    Bring your case to the local newspapers. It might 'work', regardless of the right or wrong in this situation.

    I have seen very few forums preface bad news with "I'm sorry to tell you this, but. . .". You kind of have to mentally put this phrase in.
    Please post links to the posts that were offensive or callous. Were the alleged flamees newbies?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Behind a Desk
    Posts
    98,846

    Default Re: Sued Over an Unpaid Hospital Bill

    If you have defenses, you present your defenses in court. If you admit you owe the bill in court, you'll get a judgment against you that the plaintiff, presumably, will try to collect. If you fail to defend yourself in court the plaintiff will get a judgment by default and presumably will try to collect it.

    The local newspapers aren't likely to find a story in an unpaid hospital bill.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    supratentorial region
    Posts
    818

    Default Re: Sued Over an Unpaid Hospital Bill

    I had to have surgery last year when my husband was working. Since that time he has hurt his back and we are totally dependent on my income.
    I knew I owed the hospital $500 but had noway of paying any of the money.
    What response did you get from the hospital when you communicated your sudden change in income and inability to pay the charge at that time?

    Communication goes a long way with providers.

    Now I have read other post and the flames that followed, and I really don't need anymore stress. If you planned to post "you received services therefore pay it" please read above!!!
    Sorry you don't like the legally correct answer.

    have an old teeshirt that says "You have your whole life to be a jerk why not take today off" pls remember this in your post...


  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Posts
    2

    Default Re: Sued Over an Unpaid Hospital Bill

    Look I did not mean to step on anybody's toes. Maybe I should have waited until I calmed down after being served... I am also too busy to search back threw and grab links to post that gave me my opinion. At any rate, I am a nurse and have a many occasions helped people without getting paid for it despite being yelled at and called name because of the pain and trauma they were in at the time. I did not say, I am sorry you feel that way.. too bad because I know how to help you!!!. No I take it on the chin because I know the stress they are under and they don't mean it.

    It is up to you if you want to help, but I was hoping since you did post for free everyone would be people who liked to think out of the box...

    If you would like for me to post some links, I will take another break from studying for 19 credit hours including a 15 chapter test tomorrow and look for them; however, you could accept my apology as a good will effort to "pay it forward".

    Look I am in a bind and not sure how to get out of it. I don't have time to go to the toilet much less to court and listen to a trained attorney bash me for me accusing me of being a dead beat low life. It is taking everything out of me to better myself. I am only a LPN which means "Low Paid Nurse" it sure would be nice to become a "Real Nurse."

    I mean if you only knew what has been happening to our family this past year you would look past my smart comments with the full knowledge your helping not just me but my whole family... I am trying to fight through this but can't caught a break.......

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Somewhere near Canada
    Posts
    35,894

    Default Re: Sued Over an Unpaid Hospital Bill

    Basically, if you owe the debt, you have a choice.

    You can either pay it, or accept that once the judgement is obtained your wages can be garnished.

    If you don't respond they'll get the judgement by default and it will either come with a garnishment order or they'll obtain one separately.

    Either way there's really no way you can get out of this.

    You can file an emergency bankruptcy petition too, and apply for a waiver of the filing fee (or request to pay in installments). That will put an immediate end to any collection effort, but you'll have to go through with the whole process if you want the debt to be gone.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    supratentorial region
    Posts
    818

    Default Re: Sued Over an Unpaid Hospital Bill

    What response did you get from the hospital when you communicated your sudden change in income and inability to pay the charge at that time?
    I'd still like an answer to the above question.

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