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Do I Need a Lawyer to Fight Medical Bill Debt?

George Simons | October 19, 2022

George Simons
Co-Founder of SoloSuit
George Simons, JD/MBA

George Simons is the co-founder and CEO of SoloSuit. He has helped Americans protect over $1 billion from predatory debt lawsuits. George graduated from BYU Law school in 2020 with a JD-MBA. In his spare time, George likes to cook, because he likes to eat.

Edited by Hannah Locklear

Hannah Locklear
Editor at SoloSuit
Hannah Locklear, BA

Hannah Locklear is SoloSuit’s Marketing and Impact Manager. With an educational background in Linguistics, Spanish, and International Development from Brigham Young University, Hannah has also worked as a legal support specialist for several years.

Summary: Are you being sued for medical debt? Find out if you need a lawyer to fight medical bill debt.

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 SoloSuit.

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 SoloSuit to respond to a debt collection lawsuit in 15 minutes.

How SoloSuit can help you fight medical bill debt collectors

Using SoloSuit 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, SoloSuit has a team of attorneys ready to help.

Additionally, SoloSuit 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.

SoloSuit 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 SoloSuit?

SoloSuit makes it easy to respond to a debt collection lawsuit.

How it works: SoloSuit is a step-by-step web-app that asks you all the necessary questions to complete your answer. Upon completion, you can either print the completed forms and mail in the hard copies to the courts or you can pay SoloSuit to file it for you and to have an attorney review the document.

Respond with SoloSuit

"First time getting sued by a debt collector and I was searching all over YouTube and ran across SoloSuit, so I decided to buy their services with their attorney reviewed documentation which cost extra but it was well worth it! SoloSuit sent the documentation to the parties and to the court which saved me time from having to go to court and in a few weeks the case got dismissed!" – James

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>>Read the FastCompany article: Debt Lawsuits Are Complicated: This Website Makes Them Simpler To Navigate

>>Read the NPR story on SoloSuit: A Student Solution To Give Utah Debtors A Fighting Chance

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:

The Ultimate 50 State Guide

Guides on how to resolve debt with every debt collector

Are you being sued by a debt collector? We’re making guides on how to resolve debt with each one.

Resolve your debt with your creditor

Some creditors, banks, and lenders have an internal collections department. If they come after you for a debt, Solosuit can still help you respond and resolve the debt. Here’s a list of guides on how to resolve debt with different creditors.

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.

Guides on arbitration

If the thought of going to court stresses you out, you’re not alone. Many Americans who are sued for credit card debt utilize a Motion to Compel Arbitration to push their case out of court and into arbitration.

Below are some resources on how to use an arbitration clause to your advantage and win a debt lawsuit.

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.

Federal debt collection laws can protect you

Knowing your rights makes it easier to stand up for your rights. Below, we’ve compiled all our articles on federal debt collection laws that protect you from unfair practices.

Get debt relief in your state

We’ve created a specialized guide on how to find debt relief in all 50 states, complete with steps to take to find relief, state-specific resources, and more.

Debt collection laws in all 50 states

Debt collection laws vary by state, so we have compiled a guide to each state’s debt collection laws to make it easier for you to stand up for your rights—no matter where you live.

Statute of limitations on debt state guides

Like all debt collection laws, the statute of limitations on debt varies by state. So, we wrote a guide on each state’s statutes. Check it out below.

Statute of Limitations on Debt Collection by State (Best Guide)

Check the status of your court case

Don’t have time to go to your local courthouse to check the status of your case? We’ve created a guide on how to check the status of your case in every state, complete with online search tools and court directories.

How to stop wage garnishment in your state

Forgot to respond to your debt lawsuit? The judge may have ordered a default judgment against you, and with a default judgment, debt collectors can garnish your wages. Here are our guides on how to stop wage garnishment in all 50 states.

Other wage garnishment resources

How to settle a debt in your state

Debt settlement is one of the most effective ways to resolve a debt and save money. We’ve created a guide on how to settle your debt in all 50 states. Find out how to settle in your state with a simple click and explore other debt settlement resources below.

How to settle with every debt collector

Not sure how to negotiate a debt settlement with a debt collector? We are creating guides to help you know how to start the settlement conversation and increase your chances of coming to an agreement with every debt collector.

Other debt settlement resources

Personal loan and debt relief reviews

We give a factual review of the following debt consolidation, debt settlement, and loan organizations and companies to help you make an informed decision before you take on a debt.

How to repair and improve your credit score

Debt has a big impact on your credit. Below is a list of guides on how to repair and improve your credit, even while managing major debt.

How to resolve student loan debt

Struggling with student debt? SoloSuit’s got you covered. Below are resources on handling student loan debt.

Civil law legal definitions

You can represent yourself in court. Save yourself the time and cost of finding an attorney, and use the following resources to understand legal definitions better and how they may apply to your case.

Get answers to these FAQs on debt collection

How-to debt guides

Learn more with these additional debt resources

It only takes 15 minutes.

And 50% of our customers' cases have been dismissed in the past.


"Finding yourself on the wrong side of the law unexpectedly is kinda scary. I started researching on YouTube and found SoloSuit's channel. The videos were so helpful, easy to understand and encouraging. When I reached out to SoloSuit they were on it. Very professional, impeccably prompt. Thanks for the service!" - Heather



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