Las Vegas Office: (725) 900-9000 Washington Office: (360) 200-0000
Van Law Firm
  • About Us
    • Attorneys
    • Sandy Van
    • Angela J. Campos
    • Burke Huber
    • Annual Scholarship
  • Practice Areas
    • Motor Vehicle Accident
    • Wrongful Death
    • Workers’ Compensation
    • Uninsured And Underinsured Accidents
    • Personal Injury
    • Product Liability
    • Bad Faith Insurance Claims
    • Camp Lejeune Lawsuit
    • Nursing Home Abuse
    • Las Vegas Defective Drugs and Medical Devices
    • Sexual Abuse
    • Mass Torts
    • Zantac
    • Truck Accident
    • Swimming Pool Injury
  • Testimonials
  • Blogs
    • FAQs
    • Videos
  • Contact Us
  • Locations
    • Las Vegas Office
    • Washington Office
    • View All Locatoins
Get My Free Consultation
(725) 900-9000

Home » Blogs » Personal Injury » Why Would an Attorney Ask a Client to Obtain Their Own Medical Bills and Records?

Why Would an Attorney Ask a Client to Obtain Their Own Medical Bills and Records?

For the most part, when a personal injury attorney accepts a case, they take charge of everything related to it, and the client is largely free from responsibility other than medical treatments and staying out of harm’s way. Attorneys prefer it this way so that they can ensure everything is being handled properly, and to give the client the best possible chance of success. 

For a free legal consultation, call (725) 900-9000

However, there are times where your attorney may ask you to do something yourself, for a specific reason. One example of this is when clients are asked to obtain their own medical records after a car accident–while it may come across as lazy on the part of the attorney, in reality, there is a very compelling reason for doing so. 

An Effort to Save Clients Money from Medical Expenses 

To put it simply, if a patient goes to a hospital for treatment, they will typically go through their personal health insurance to facilitate treatment and payment. Because of this well-established process, healthcare providers have worked with insurers over the years to set pre-determined caps on the costs of certain treatments, procedures, supplies, etc. This helps reduce the number of discrepancies and keep up the pace of patient flow.  

Click to contact our personal injury lawyers today

However, when certain hospitals become aware of the fact that you are being represented by an attorney (which they will if an attorney or firm requests records), they start to operate under a more expensive set of rules. At that point, they know that they can bypass insurance protocols and charge you much, much more for the same treatment. The New York Times recently ran a story detailing this nefarious practice; in one of their examples, a woman from Indiana was charged over $12,000 for treatment that would have cost $2,500 through her insurance. 

Now, to be clear, if you have extremely limited insurance or none at all, you will have to get your treatments through a medical lien anyway. If you have any sort of personal health insurance, however, you should utilize it. 

Attorneys Must Follow the Law 

Part of the reason why an attorney may suggest obtaining your own records and bills is that they have no way to change the distribution of funds once the hospital has put a lien on your settlement. Once it’s done, it’s done. 

Complete a Free Case Evaluation form now

Each state’s laws regarding liens and settlement funds are different, but we’ll use our home state of Nevada as an example. Nevada state law expressly states that attorneys “must withhold funds from a client’s recovery in which a third-party creditor has a claim or lien against the funds.” NRCP 1.15 (d), Nevada Ethics Opinion No. 31, Achrem v. Expressway Plaza Limited, 112 Nev. 737, 917 P.2d 447(1996). If there is a medical lien on your settlement, it must be paid in full before anyone else gets their share, including your attorney. 

Many clients may feel jaded after having to pay high medical costs on top of the standard 33.3% legal fees, but that is why attorneys will suggest the idea in the first place. This concept is just one example of why it is so important for clients to have constant communication with their attorneys so that everyone is always on the same page. 

Have Questions? Contact Qualified Personal Injury Attorneys 

If you have any more questions about the claim process or would just like to talk with trusted personal injury attorneys, simply give Van Law Firm a call as soon as possible. Our award-winning staff has been defending the rights of accident victims for almost a decade, and with over 500 5-star reviews, that hard work is not going unheralded. Call the office nearest you for more information and a no-cost, no-obligation consultation.

No obligation consultations are always free.

Let Us Help You! Call Now: (725) 900-9000
We are available 24/7

Recent Posts

  • Rampant Water Contamination at Military Bases
  • 23-Year-Old Killed by Cop Car in South Lake Union
  • Is Your Baby Safe in a Shopping Cart?
  • Catching AI-Generated Content
  • Studies Link Hair Relaxers to Cancer

Categories

  • Accidents & Lawsuits
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Auto Accidents
  • Baby Formula Lawsuits
  • Bankruptcy
  • Burn Injuries
  • Bus Acciidents
  • Camp Lejeune
  • Defective Medical Devices
  • Drowning Accidents
  • Drunk Driving Accidents
  • Elmiron
  • Heating Pad Injuries
  • Insurance
  • Legal Alerts
  • Mass Torts
  • Medical Malpractice
  • Motorcycle Accidents
  • News and Updates
  • Nursing Home Abuse
  • Paraquat Lawsuits
  • Park Accidents
  • Pedestrian Accidents
  • Personal Injury
  • Premises Liability
  • Product Liability
  • Sexual Abuse
  • Sexual Assault
  • Slip and Fall Accidents
  • Swimming Pool Accidents
  • Swimming Pool Injuries
  • Traumatic Brain Injuries
  • Truck Accidents
  • Truvada
  • Whiplash Injury
  • Workers Compensation
  • Wrongful Death
  • Zantac

FAQs

What is a Short Sale?

faq thumb

Buying a home After a Short Sale

faq thumb

What is a Deficiency and Why Should I Be Worried?

faq thumb

Find Yourself a Passionate Lawyer Now!

  • Bellingham Personal Injury Lawyer Near Me
  • Boulder City Personal Injury Lawyer Near Me
  • Centennial Hills Personal Injury Lawyer Near Me
  • Henderson Personal Injury Lawyer Near Me
  • Lakewood Personal Injury Lawyer Near Me
  • Las Vegas Personal Injury Lawyer Near Me
  • Nationwide Personal Injury Lawyer Near Me
  • Washington Personal Injury Lawyer Near Me
  • Yakima Personal Injury Lawyer Near Me
  • Seattle Personal Injury Lawyer Near Me

Personal Injury Blog Posts:

INSTALLATION OF POSITIVE TRAIN CONTROL TECHNOLOGY INSTALLATION OF POSITIVE TRAIN CONTROL TECHNOLOGY

Railroads are required to install positive train control technology but a report by the FRA shows that while some railroads have made significant progress, many freight and commuter railroads are no...

KIDS WITH GUNS: WHO IS LIABLE? KIDS WITH GUNS: WHO IS LIABLE?

Gun owners may be liable for the injuries and deaths that are caused when kids accidentally shoot someone. Of the 265 kid-with-gun shootings reported in 2015, 83 resulted in a death. Forty-one young...

CUMULATIVE TRAUMA ON THE TRACKS CUMULATIVE TRAUMA ON THE TRACKS

Cumulative trauma injuries accumulate over time and often result in severe injuries for railroad workers. Railroad workers operate in hostile environments where life-changing accidents are common, b...

E-SCOOTER DANGERS: THE COST OF CONVENIENCE E-SCOOTER DANGERS: THE COST OF CONVENIENCE

E-scooters are becoming increasingly popular across the United States and riders need to be aware of the dangers involved. These motorized vehicles are a top transportation choice among commuters in...

  • Las Vegas, NV
    1290 S Jones Blvd
    Las Vegas, NV 89147

    Get Directions
  • Lakewood, WA
    9311 Bridgeport Way SW
    Lakewood WA 98499

    Get Directions
  • Yakima, WA
    32 N 3rd St STE 304
    Yakima, WA 98901

    Get Directions
Van Law Firm

Van law firm is a personal injury law firm that represents individuals injured by motor vehicle accidents in Las Vegas, Henderson, and throughout Washington. We also represent workers’ compensation cases and people who have been hurt by defective drugs like Zantac, medical devices, and products nationwide.

Contact Info

1290 S Jones Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89146
(725) 900-9000 (702) 800-4662 Get Map & Directions
9311 Bridgeport Way SW
Lakewood, WA 98499
(360) 200-0000 (360) 208-0248 Get Map & Directions
32 N 3rd St STE 304
Yakima, WA 98901
(509) 505-1000 (509) 272-0300 Get Map & Directions

Practice Areas

  • MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT
  • PERSONAL INJURY
  • WRONGFUL DEATH
  • PRODUCT LIABILITY
  • WORKERS’ COMPENSATION
  • BAD FAITH INSURANCE CLAIMS
  • UNINSURED AND UNDERINSURED ACCIDENTS
  • NURSING HOME ABUSE
Expertise best personal injury attorney award America's Fastest growing private companies award Honoree Ribbon

Privacy Policy © Copyright 2023 Van Law Firm

Please consult an attorney for advice about your unique and individual situation. This website and its information is not legal advice, nor is it intended to be. Calling our firm does not create an attorney-client relationship. Until an attorney-client relationship is established, please withhold from sending any confidential information.