Settlement FAQs

how to calculate lienholder's share of settlement illinois

by Nicholas McGlynn Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago

Multiply your weekly benefit by the number of allowed weeks in the chart to calculate your settlement. For example, if your maximum weekly benefit is $335.50 and you lost your thumb -- 76 allowed weeks -- your settlement calculates to $25,346. Tip

Full Answer

How much can a lien be on a property in Illinois?

The law explicitly states that “the total amount of all liens under this Act….shall not exceed 40% of the verdict, judgment, award, settlement, or compromise secured by or on behalf of the injured person on his or her claim or right of action.” 770 ILCS 23/10 (a). Did I receive a lien?

What is the amount of a medical lien?

The amount in medical liens total $15,000 and are as follows: Here, the common fund would be $10,000 (40% of the $25,000 arbitration award), and because the total amount of liens exceed the statutory limit of 40%, we must reduce the liens to no more than the $10,000 lien limit. Based on the lien act, the final lien numbers will look closer to this

What is the Illinois health care services Lien Act?

Like Med Pay, Medicaid and Medicare are not subject to the Illinois Health Care Services Lien Act. They are statutory liens and need not proper service of their liens on interested parties as required under the law. Their status as lienholders is superior to other liens that may be present on the case.

How do I file a notice of lien in Illinois?

First, the notice of lien, which must be in writing, must contain: the name of the party who was allegedly negligent and would be liable to make compensation to the injured person. 770 ILCS 23/10 (b).

Economic Damages

Economic damages are sometimes also called “financial damages” because they have a concrete dollar value. For example, if you have seen a doctor and received medical bills and invoices, you can include the full amount of those costs in your claim.

Non-Economic Damages

Just as economic damages have an actual dollar value, non-economic damages do not. The law recognizes that not all losses, or damages, have a concrete dollar value, but that they are losses just the same and you deserve compensation for them.

Our Personal Injury Lawyers in McHenry County Can Value Your Claim

While valuing a claim is not always easy, our McHenry County personal injury lawyers at Brassfield & Krueger, Ltd. have the necessary experience to ensure all of your losses are accounted for, and that you receive compensation for all of them.

How much can Medicaid take from a settlement in Illinois?

Like Med Pay, Medicaid and Medicare are not subject to the Illinois Health Care Services Lien Act. They are statutory liens and need not proper service of their liens on interested parties as required under the law. Their status as lienholders is superior to other liens that may be present on the case.

What if there is one big hospital lien?

Lets say your case settles for $50,000 and there is a hospital lien for $30,000. This is the only lien there is. The common fund would be $20,000: $10,000 for the hospitals and $10,000 for the physicians.

What is a medical lien?

Put simply, a medical lien is a security interest that medical providers place against any recovery you may receive in your claim. It “attaches to,” or claims, a portion of a settlement, verdict, award, or whatever compromise you or your attorneys may have secured.

Why do hospitals and doctors place liens?

Medical providers will place liens on personal injury claims in order to protect their interest in the settlement recovery. With lien holders, they will often provide or render medical treatment to the claimant and allow them to defer payment until the conclusion of the case. The providers may assert a lien because a bigger portion of the medical bills may be paid through the personal injury case than the contractually agreed-upon rate the facility may have with a health insurance company.

What is the biggest issue with medicaid liens?

The biggest issue with Medicaid and Medicare liens is that their liens usually take some time to resolve. However, generally, the lien amounts are more modest than hospital and physician bills. When your attorney receives a ledger of paid benefits from Medicaid or Medicare, there is a column itemizing the charges submitted to Medicaid or Medicare and the benefits paid out. The treating facility has a contracted rate that Medicaid pays and the remaining balance is often written off or closed.

What is the Lien Act?

The Health Care Services Lien Act (“Lien Act”), codified as 770 ILCS 23/1, et seq., is the law that spells out what a lien is, how it is created, and how the treater is to be reimbursed. First, one of the most important things to take note of is that the Lien Act caps what all the lien holders are entitled to. The law explicitly states that “the total amount of all liens under this Act….shall not exceed 40% of the verdict, judgment, award, settlement, or compromise secured by or on behalf of the injured person on his or her claim or right of action.” 770 ILCS 23/10 (a).

What is the intent of the Lien Act?

It is equally important to note that the Lien Act’s intent is to help facilitate settlement discussions and disbursement of funds, and it does not extinguish the healthcare provider’s right to pursue the remaining balance of the injured party’s account.

A Guide to filing Personal Injury Claims & Estimating Settlement Values in IL

Accidents or mishaps are commonplace and injuries sustained in an accident can have far- reaching effects on your life emotionally, physically and financially. When an accident occurs resulting in personal injury, the injured person can experience pain, fear and confusion.

What are the Basics of Personal Injury Law?

There is a wide range of circumstances where personal injury regulations apply:

How to Calculate Your Injury Claim Settlement

Pain and Suffering: This legal term applies to numerous injuries that a complainant may suffer because of an accident. It covers physical pain, mental and emotional injuries such as grief, fear, anxiety, insomnia, inconvenience and loss of enjoyment for life.

Example of How the Settlement Calculator Works

Let us say that your medical expenses for a minor personal injury was $36,000.00 and you loss $1000 in salary for a week’s absence from work:

Insurance Companies

Insurance companies use a settlement calculator to determine the level of compensation you will get for your medical expenses. For example, devastating pain and suffering, emotional distress like mental anguish and loss of income relating to your car accident case, or another accident claim.

Different Types of Injuries

The list below indicates the types of injuries that attract claims for insurance settlements:

How Personal Injury Settlements are Awarded

When your claims take place in a court hearing usually both the judge and jury will examine all medical bills to decide on the amount payable for general damages.

What is the maximum amount of a lien in Illinois?

The crux of the Illinois Healthcare Lien Act is that it limits the total liens from both categories of lien holders to 40% of the plaintiff’s recovery, and also limits an individual category of lien holder to a maximum of 33% of the recovery.

How Does the Healthcare Services Lien Act Work?

Liens are often a hurdle for both plaintiffs and defendants when negotiating a settlement, but the Healthcare Services Lien Act limits what the lien holders can claim. The act defines two categories of healthcare services:

Can medical providers recoup settlement costs?

Medical providers are able to recoup their costs for treating you from your settlement by way of liens, but the Illinois Healthcare Services Lien Act keeps them from claiming the entirely of your award.

Can you keep a medical lien in Illinois?

If you have successfully employed an Illinois personal injury attorney and achieved a settlement or won your case by trial, it is important to realize that you may not be able to keep the full amount due to liens from medical providers. Medical providers are able to recoup their costs for treating you from your settlement by way of liens, but the Illinois Healthcare Services Lien Act keeps them from claiming the entirely of your award.

What is the medical lien in Illinois?

When an individual is injured in an accident, the Illinois Health Care Services Lien Act (the “Act”) may limit the lien that the healthcare professionals and providers who treated that individual for his injury can have on the patient’s recovery against the at-fault party. When the injured individual obtains a settlement from, or judgment against, the at-fault party, the Act limits the total amount of medical liens to 40% of the settlement or judgment, as applicable. All medical lienholders are to share proportionate amounts, subject to the 40% limit.

How does the liens reduction act affect settlement?

One effect of the Act’s reduction of liens is the facilitation of settlement discussions between injured patients and the at-fault parties, since settlements can easily be hindered by the liens on the recovery amount . The Act works to lower the amounts of liens so that excessive liens will not impede settlement.

What is the 40% limit for medical lien?

All medical lienholders are to share proportionate amounts, subject to the 40% limit. The 40% limit is divided into two halves if the total settlement or judgment exceeds the limit: 20% of the settlement or judgment is to be distributed to health care professionals, and 20% is to be distributed to health care providers.

Can a provider collect on a judgment?

Note, however, that just because the Act reduces the amount of a provider or professional’s lien on the injured patient’s judgment, that does not mean that the provider or professional has lost its right to otherwise collect on the amount due to it. In other words, even though the provider or professional may not be able to recover by taking its money out of the injured patient’s judgment or settlement award, the provider or professional could still sue the injured patient on a contract claim. The provider or professional could then use other methods to collect, such as wage or bank account garnishment against the injured patient.

Can a doctor receive more than 1/3 of a judgment?

In addition, no individual licensed category of health care professionals (e.g., hospitals) or providers (e.g., doctors) may receive more than 1/3 of the settlement or judgment amount. Finally, Medicare and Medicaid are not subject to the Health Care Services Lien Act, and their recovery is not limited and takes priority over medical lienholders.

What Is A Medical Lien?

Why Do Hospitals and Doctors Place Liens?

Did I Receive A Lien?

What Is Medpay?

How Much Can Medicaid Take from A Settlement in Illinois?

The Lien Act in Practice

  • As stated above, the total amount of the liens shall not exceed 40% of the recovery amount. Should the liens exceed the common fund set aside for liens, the Lien Act breaks the liens into two separate and distinct categories: 1. the health care professionals and 2. the health care providers. According to the Lien act, a health care professional is ...
See more on kryderlaw.com

What If There Is One Big Hospital Lien?

I Still Don’T Understand Medical Liens, Who Can Help Me?

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