Hospital Liens After a Granbury Crash
Short answer: If you went to a hospital within 72 hours of a crash, the hospital can claim part of your injury settlement for its bill. The lien covers care in the first 100 days, must be filed with the county clerk, and is limited to reasonable charges.
The 100-day limit
A hospital lien covers charges for care during the first 100 days of the hospital stay. It doesn't cover care after that, and it doesn't attach to your home or other property, only to the injury claim.
Reasonable charges only
The lien is limited to the amount of reasonable and necessary charges. Hospitals often bill full list prices, then accept much less from insurers. Ask for an itemized bill and question charges that look higher than what insurers pay.
Health insurance and the lien
If you have health insurance, ask the hospital to bill it. Hospitals sometimes skip your health plan and file a lien for the full price. A lien doesn't stop you from asking them to bill your insurance.
Granbury patients and two-county liens
Granbury patients may be seen at Lake Granbury Medical Center and then sent to JPS in Fort Worth. That can mean liens in two counties. Search both the Hood County Clerk and the Tarrant County Clerk records before you settle.
Granbury and Hood County help
Inside city limits, Granbury Police Department responds. On US 377 outside town, on SH 144 or on county roads, it is often a DPS trooper or the Hood County Sheriff's Office. Ask for the case number either way, because you need it to request the CR-3 from TxDOT.
Emergency care: Lake Granbury Medical Center; JPS Health Network (John Peter Smith Hospital); Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth.
Next: what to do in the first few days.
Common questions
Does a hospital lien attach to my house?
No. It attaches to your injury claim and its proceeds.
Does an ambulance count?
Yes. Emergency medical services providers can also file liens under chapter 55.
Talk to someone about your Granbury wreck
Ask for a free case evaluation. A trusted local attorney will contact you promptly. No cost, no obligation, and wrecks anywhere in Texas qualify.