Q: Hello - I got served with a summons and complaint for a medical bill that a hospital ended up suing me.
Hello - I got served with a summons and complaint for a medical bill that a hospital ended up suing me for not paying. I am not sure what the charge is for. I don’t know if I can call the hospital? Or the lawyers office that is suing me? I don’t know if the hospital sold my info to a collections agency, cause it says the plaintiff is the hospital not a collection agency so I am not sure. In New York. I am not sure when the bill is from, but it says that, Action for $6524.91, with interest from September 20, 2022 being the balance due for the agreed price and reasonable value of medical services furnished by the Plaintiff to the Defendant and/or a defendant of the Defendant on or about and prior to September 20, 2022; no part of said balance has been paid although same has been duly demanded by the Plaintiff of the Defendant. It was filed though on October 27, 2022.
A: You need to demand verification of the debt, examine the accounting of the debt, and prepare and file your answer to the complaint, containing all of your defenses. Federal law also protects you from false or abusive medical debt collections under the FDCPA. By ignoring it, you risk a default judgment being entered, following which your bank account may be frozen and wages garnished. Consider hiring a knowledgeable collection defense attorney to defeat the claim or negotiate an appropriate settlement based on the validity (or lack there of) of the debt.
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