Hospital Vows to Stop Going After Missouri Car Accident Settlements

When a person is hurt in a Missouri car accident, they may face a long and costly road to recovery through medical treatment and physical rehabilitation at a hospital. While many of these victims attempt to use their insurance policies to pay for these costs, some hospitals have adopted a policy of placing liens on any potential car accident settlements the victim may receive.
The move leaves many citizens wondering why a hospital would take such action and the answer is quite simple: money. The hospital may have an opportunity to get paid more through the settlement than they would if they accepted payments from a victim’s insurer.
Some accident victims have successfully fought back against this practice. An article from The Kansas City Star explains the Missouri medical facility, St. Luke’s Hospital, has vowed to reimburse 930 car accident victims who had liens taken out against their accident settlements and to never take such action again. The move could cost the hospital as much as $3.5 million in addition to mounting attorney fees.
Three other Kansas City hospitals are facing similar suits.
At Cofman Townsley, our team of St. Louis personal injury attorneys know the financial difficulties that can follow a car accident injury, which is why we are hopeful St. Luke’s decision brings some sense of closure to the victims who were affected by the hospital’s policy.