Who pays medical bills after a car crash in Tennessee?

Tennessee's minimum liability limits are $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage (Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-12-102(12)(D)). These are the least a driver must carry. They are not a measure of what a crash costs, and a driver can carry more. Details: Tennessee minimum car insurance. How fault is shared: Tennessee fault rules.

Your health plan can pay for treatment under its own rules (network, deductible, co-pay, authorization), whether or not another driver caused the crash. The terms are in your plan documents and differ from plan to plan. Ask your plan, in writing, what its rules are for crash-related claims.

If the driver who caused the crash has no insurance, your own UM coverage, if you have it, is the part of your policy built for that situation. In Tennessee, UM coverage comes with the policy unless the named insured rejects it in writing or selects lower limits. See Tennessee minimum car insurance for the rules and how to check your policy.

A hospital lien is a legal claim by a hospital against money a patient recovers from someone else for crash injuries. It is not a bill, and it does not mean the hospital will not treat you. Tennessee's hospital lien statute says:

• Who can claim one: "Every person, firm, association, corporation, institution, or any governmental unit, including the state of Tennessee" that provides care (Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-22-101(a)) [1].
• What it attaches to: claims, suits and demands the patient has against others for the injury.
• Cap: the lien does not apply to any amount beyond one-third of the damages, whether obtained by judgment, settlement or compromise (§ 29-22-101(b)) [1].
• Order of priority: the lien is subordinate to any attorney's lien, does not apply to workers' compensation injuries, and in motor vehicle cases does not take priority over a mechanic's lien or prior recorded lien on the vehicle (§ 29-22-101(c)).
• How it is created: the hospital must file a verified statement with the circuit court clerk in the county where the hospital is, and also the patient's county of residence if the patient lives in Tennessee. It must be filed "before or within one hundred twenty (120) days after" discharge (§ 29-22-102) [2].
• Effect on settlements: a release or settlement is not effective against the lien unless the lienholder joins it or signs a lien release (§ 29-22-104).
• How it ends: the hospital signs a certificate that its claim has been paid or discharged, and the clerk notes the release (§ 29-22-105).

You can usually find out whether a lien was filed by asking the circuit court clerk in the county of the hospital. If you have questions about how a lien affects you, a licensed Tennessee attorney or the hospital's billing office can answer; CrashFirst cannot.

This is organization, not strategy.

1. Keep every explanation of benefits (EOB) from your health plan next to the matching provider bill.
2. Ask each provider for an itemized bill (it lists each service and charge) in addition to any summary statement.
3. Write down which source paid which bill: health plan, another insurer, you, or no one yet.
4. Keep a dated list of every letter or call from a billing office, health plan or insurer.
5. Request your records (how to get your medical records and bills).
6. Use the free crash journal and bills organizer.

• Tennessee minimum car insurance
• Tennessee deadlines
• Medical records and bills
• What to do after a car accident in Memphis