Do I Need a Lawyer to Fight Medical Bill Debt?

February 24, 2024

Do I Need a Lawyer to Fight Medical Bill Debt?

Are you being sued for medical debt? Find out if you need a lawyer to fight medical bill debt. ZumaZip.com FREE Help and Resources DIY

Although it’s better to have a competent lawyer help you fight a medical bill debt, given how complicated they can be, you don’t necessarily need one. Here’s everything you need to know if you’ve been sued for a medical bill debt.

How medical bill debt affects your credit score

Many Americans deal with medical debts every year. However, failing to make the minimum payments on time means the debt could be transferred to a medical collection agency.

Medical debts are handled differently compared to other types of debts. As a result, they may not impact heavily on your credit score but can still be recorded on your credit report for seven years if left unpaid for a long time. Such a record can make it more difficult for you to obtain credit in the future.

The good news is that medical bills have a grace period of 180 days before being reported on your credit report and will be erased from the report once settled. This policy has been implemented to allow consumers more time to settle the bill.

Protect your credit score by responding to debt collectors with ZumaZip.com

What to do about a medical debt lawsuit

When you receive the court summons and complaints, the first thing you need to do is plan your response before its deadline expires. If you aren’t sure how to respond to the complaint, you may seek advice from a medical bill lawyer to help you prepare your defenses and save you money in return.

Begin by gathering evidence of payments you’ve made and compare with the complaint to determine if the debt amount and other details are accurate. If there’s an error, you can dispute the complaint by directly writing to the collection agency and the credit bureau responsible for the error. However, this notice may halt the suit only for some time until the dispute is settled.

If there’s no dispute, you need to take the following steps to respond to the summons and complaints:

prepare your Answer document;
assert your affirmative defenses;
file the response with the relevant court;
serve the plaintiff with a copy of the response.

Use ZumaZip.com to respond to a debt collection lawsuit in 15 minutes.

How ZumaZip can help you fight medical bill debt collectors

Using ZumaZip.com makes this process much more straightforward. The application generates the Answer document correctly and at no cost to you. The web application also recommends having the response reviewed by an attorney at a small fee to increase the chances of winning the suit. If you choose to have the response reviewed by an attorney, ZumaZip.com has a team of attorneys ready to help.

Additionally, ZumaZip.com can help you file the response once it’s complete to save you time. The application will file the response to the court handling the lawsuit and a copy delivered to the plaintiff.

ZumaZip.com allows you to plan your finances better and get out of debt as soon as possible. Filing an Answer correctly can help you resolve the debt amicably and take control of your finances. On the other hand, ignoring such a suit gives the collector more power to collect what you owe from the little you have, leaving you in a worse financial situation.

What is ZumaZip?

ZumaZip is a convenient solution designed to streamline your response to a debt collection lawsuit. Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect when you use ZumaZip:

Firstly, you’ll access our user-friendly web application, which guides you through the process step by step. You’ll be prompted to answer a series of questions related to your specific situation. Once you’ve completed the questionnaire, you have the option to either print out the finalized forms and mail them to the appropriate courts yourself, or you can opt to utilize ZumaZip’s services to file them on your behalf. Additionally, if you choose this option, an attorney will review your document for added peace of mind.

If you’re seeking guidance on how to effectively respond to a debt collection lawsuit, ZumaZip can provide the assistance you need. Feel free to explore our FAQs for more information on what ZumaZip has to offer.

What if I haven’t been sued yet?

If you’ve only received a collections notice, but not a lawsuit, the best way to respond is with a Debt Validation Letter. When a debt collector contacts you in any way, whether it’s by phone or mail, you can respond by formally requesting a debt validation with a Debt Validation Letter . This letter notifies the collector that you dispute the debt and forces them to provide proof you owe the debt. They can’t call you or continue collecting until they provide validation of the debt. This flowchart shows how you can use a Debt Validation Letter to win.

Get started with a Debt Validation Letter here.

How to Answer a Summons for debt collection in all 50 states

Here’s a list of guides on how to respond to a debt collection lawsuit in each state:

Guides on how to beat every debt collector

Hey there! Facing off against a debt collector can feel like a daunting challenge, but fear not! We’re here to help you navigate through it all with our handy guides designed to assist you in beating every debt collector you encounter. Whether you’re facing a new lawsuit or dealing with a persistent collector, we’ve got your back. Stay positive, stay informed, and let’s tackle this together!

Settle your medical debt

Having a health challenge is stressful, but dealing medical debt on top of it is overwhelming. Here are some resources on how to manage medical debt.

Stop calls from Debt Collectors

Do you keep getting calls from an unknown number, only to realize that it’s a debt collector on the other line? If you’ve been called by any of the following numbers, chances are you have collectors coming after you, and we’ll tell you how to stop them.