PA Medical Malpractice Attorneys and Hospital Collections

Thanks to our friends at Anapol Schwartz for providing this timely information.

Even for the healthiest individual, the moment will arrive when the need for help from a medical professional will present itself. Americans rely heavily on doctors, nurses, and hospital workers to fulfill their responsibility of properly treating, diagnosing, and prescribing accurate medication in a timely and efficient manner. In the midst of health care reform, patients are aware of the often hefty costs of medical treatment. This kind of financial strain is even more frustrating and potentially catastrophic when the medical treatment received is inefficient and leads to further illness, injury, and even death.

Considering that a large amount of bankruptcies are brought on by medical expenses accrued, it is unjust for patients to have to pay for both the financial, physical, and emotional consequences of medical malpractice or hospital negligence. Similar to the drastic affect medical billing error has on patients and the finances of their families, medical malpractice in Pennsylvania and throughout the entire country can have long-lasting repercussions and even place the lives of innocent people in jeopardy.

Whether you believe that you have fallen victim to a medical professional’s negligence due to birth injury, hospital negligence, failure to diagnose cancer, medication errors, or misdiagnosis, an experienced Pennsylvania medical malpractice attorney can help you seek the compensation that you deserve. Anapol Schwartz is well-known for its success in assisting medical malpractice injury victims and also handling wrongful death cases. To find out how the lawyers at Anapol Schwartz may be able to assist you in holding negligent medical professionals accountable for their actions, call 866-735-2792 for a free consultation or visit www.pa-medical-malpractice.com for more information.

Startling Statistics and Medical Bill Horror Stories

If you’ve never been faced with an unpaid doctor’s bill or had to foot the cost for a trip to the emergency room, consider yourself lucky. According to an insightful story in the Tennessean, medical bills can lead to all sorts of headaches - including a trip to jail.

The story cites a study published by the American Journal of Medicine that found that, in 2007, over 62% of bankruptcies were due to medical debt, and that over 90% of these were bills totaling more than $5,000 or 10% of pretax income. Most startling of all is that 75% of those people had health insurance. The study also found that, between 2001 and 2007, medical-related bankruptcies increased almost 50%. This study examined bankruptcies in 2007, before the Great Recession. We can only imagine that, with skyrocketing unemployment, that number will ratchet up.

The article also illuminates what goes on in the courthouse halls when doctors’ and hospitals’ attorneys try and negotiate with consumers - who typically don’t have their own lawyers - sometimes for pennies on the dollar and other times for the original amount plus court costs and interest fees.

Seniors Especially Hard Hit by Debt, Bankruptcy

A recent Associated Press article highlights the fact that the economic crisis is hitting retirees and seniors especially hard. Citing AARP statistics, the story reported that people 55 and older made up almost a quarter of the bankruptcy filings in 2007, and that bankruptcy rates quadrupled for seniors ages 75 to 84. Medical bills, the leading cause of bankruptcy, is largely to blame, but the stock market’s nosedive has left many retirees with a withered nest egg.

Sergei Lemberg, Esq., focuses his practice on defending consumer rights in the areas of Fair Debt Collection Law, Consumer Fraud, Auto Warranty and Auto Injury litigation.

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