What is my liability if my girlfriend received surgery for a life threatening issuebut she has not been able to pay the billsand I signed the admission papers?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What is my liability if my girlfriend received surgery for a life threatening issuebut she has not been able to pay the billsand I signed the admission papers?
Now my girlfriend is the defendant in a small claims case demanding payment for her surgery (she would have died without it) and I have been named a co-defendant. I signed papers admitting her the hospital, but nothing that I can recall specifically making me responsible for her medical bills. How can I be named as co-defendant? I don’t mind helping with the bill, but I feel I been wrongfully named as a debtor and this has badly affected my credit (which incidentally, I might have been able to use to get a loan to help her pay her bills).
Asked on January 17, 2012 under Bankruptcy Law, Oregon
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
If you did not sign any written document with the health care provider stating clearly that you would be responsible for your girlfriend's medical bills that you are being sued for, then under the law of your state you should not be legally liable for her health care cost payment, she would be.
You need to carefully read the admission papers that you signed to make sure that you did not unknowingly sign documentation stating that you are responsible for her health care bill.
I suspect one of the reasons you are being named as a defendant in the action is due to the hospital wanting as many people responsible to pay the outstanding bill of your girlfriend.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.