Dealing With Collection Calls during a Personal Injury Case

September 30, 2013  |  Adriel B. Villarreal

In an ideal world, a personal injury case would conclude quickly, and everyone would be paid before a single medical bill makes it to any collection agency. However, a case can take a lot longer than anyone might wish, which means the phone may start ringing soon.
When collectors start calling it’s natural to want to avoid the calls. Collection agents are trained to make you feel guilty and they’re trained to give you the sensation of being “in trouble,” even if their words remain within the boundaries of the Fair Debt Collection Act. This feeling can be exacerbated by the helplessness you can feel knowing that your ability to do anything about these bills seems trapped somewhere in legal limbo.
Unfortunately, ignoring the calls only makes things worse. The phone will keep ringing, and you’ll keep experiencing more stress at a time when you should be trying to recover from the injuries you have sustained.
All this stress is actually unnecessary! There’s a reasonably easy way to get these bulldog agencies off your back.
Just pick up the phone and explain that the debt in question is part of a personal injury case. Give them all of your attorney’s contact information. Then tell them to “cease communications” with you or anyone other than your attorney. The phone should stop ringing gradually as you have this conversation with each collector.
In the meantime, your attorney will be able to reassure the collection agency that they can expect to be paid when a settlement is reached. Your attorney may also be able to protect your credit by discouraging the agency from placing the bill on your credit report.
This scenario is a fine demonstration of some of the reasons why you want to have a qualified personal injury attorney at your side after any major incident. The benefits of hiring a personal injury attorney can go well beyond monetary compensation.