Tampa Lawyers for Consumers Harassed over Medical Debt

Medical debt is a huge problem in the United States. A recent survey from The Commonwealth Fund found that millions of Americans are struggling to pay their medical bills and have substantial medical debt. Forty-one percent of working-age Americans — or 72 million people — have medical bill problems or are paying off medical debt, up from 34 percent in 2005. Additionally, 7 million elderly adults are dealing with medical debt issues. Medical debt leads to bankruptcy at alarming levels. Two-thirds of people who file for bankruptcy cite medical issues as a key reason for their financial problems.

We’ll Fight for Your Rights and Restore Your Dignity

As you probably already know, medical debt often causes hospitals, providers, and debt collectors to employ aggressive and unlawful collection tactics. Manta Law helps patients and their loved ones who are being harassed over medical debts they owe and cannot pay. We also help those who are being pursued for medical debt they do not owe.

Harassed by Hospitals, Clinics, or Debt Collectors over Medical Debt?

If you’ve been harassed over a medical debt, contact our Tampa consumer attorneys at Manta Law today. Hospitals and medical debt collectors can be ruthless when you’re behind in paying a medical bill for yourself or a loved one. To stop the frustrating collection calls and obtain a just case result, you’re going to need the services of a qualified, experienced, and aggressive lawyer. We have over 15 years of litigation and appellate experience, and we understand the various Florida and federal laws in this ever-evolving area. We know that a patient who is being harassed over medical debts may be facing numerous struggles relating to their health, emotional wellbeing, and finances. For this reason, we will put your matter front and center and help you navigate the legal system. If we determine that you have a case under the Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act (FCCPA) or Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), we will explain the process, file suit on your behalf, and aggressively represent you in court through trial. You will not pay us any attorneys’ fees unless we recovery money for you.

Contact Manta Law at (813) 982-3663 to schedule a consultation today

Understanding Florida’s Debt Collection Laws

Florida and federal law has an assortment of laws that apply to creditors and debt collectors. Many of these laws are broken on a routine basis. You should be familiar with the following rules: A creditor or debt collector can’t do the following:

• Call you when they know it’s inconvenient for you
• Calling you before 8 a.m. and after 9 p.m.
• Contact you directly if they know you are represented by an attorney with respect to the medical debt
• Call you at work if they know or should know your boss prohibits personal calls
• Call you excessively
• Call you without disclosing their identity
• Communicate with third parties about your debt without your prior consent or permission from a court
• Publish your name on a list of consumers who allegedly refuse to pay medical and other types of debts
• Use or threaten violence or other criminal means to harm you, your reputation, or property
• Use obscene or profane language or language in communicating with you
• Advertise the debt for sale to coerce payment of the medical debt
• Imply that the debt collector is affiliated with the United States or a state government
• Mislead you about the character, amount, or legal status of any medical debt
• Falsely represent any services rendered or compensation which may be lawfully received by any debt collector for the collection of a medical debt
• Falsely represent or implying that they are attorneys or that a communication is from an attorney
• Represent or imply you will be arrested or jailed if you don’t pay
• Falsely represent that your property or wages will be seized, garnished, attached, or sold if you don’t pay
• Threaten to take action that cannot legally be taken or that is not intended to be taken
• Falsely represent or imply that a sale, referral, or other transfer of any interest in a debt shall cause the consumer to (A) lose any claim or defense to payment of the debt; or (B) become subject to any practice prohibited by this subchapter
• Falsely represent or imply that you committed any crime or other conduct to disgrace you
• Communicate or threaten to communicate to any person credit information which is known or which should be known to be false, including the failure to communicate that a disputed medical debt is disputed
• Use or distribute any written communication which simulates or is falsely represented to be a document authorized, issued, or approved by any court, official, or agency of the United States or any State, or which creates a false impression as to its source, authorization, or approval.
• Use any false representation or deceptive means to collect or attempt to collect any medical debt or to obtain information concerning a consumer

If you believe that a creditor or debt collector is engaging in any of this unlawful conduct, contact Manta Law for a free case evaluation.

Investigating Your Case & Pursuing Damages

You may have never been a party to a lawsuit before. We’re here to make the process easy. As your attorneys, we will review all of your paperwork, phone recordings, and other documentation to determine whether a hospital, doctor’s office, or debt collection company has violated your rights. We will notify the defendant that we represent you and demand that it stop contacting you. If we decide to file a lawsuit, we will draft a Complaint, in which we’ll demand statutory damages, attorneys’ fees and costs. The defendant will then have a certain number of days to respond in writing. We’ll then begin the discovery process where we ask the defendant to answer questions in writing and produce documents relevant to your case. We may take the defendant’s deposition. If the case is not settled beforehand, we may attend mediation. You may be able to file a claim against the following parties:

• A hospital
• A medical clinic
• A doctor’s office
• A surgery center
• A medical debt collector

To obtain a positive case result, we need to identify who is violating your rights and assemble evidence that proves their liability. At Manta Law, our attorneys can investigate your case, compile essential evidence, and advocate for your interests both in and out of court.

Understanding the Litigation Process

Filing a lawsuit may sound intimidating. We’re here to make the process simple. We will

Hire Superior Legal Representation Today

Contact Manta Law if you require legal guidance or representation after being harassed over medical debt. Our Tampa attorneys have been fighting for their clients’ rights for over 15 years. During your consultation, we can discuss the circumstances that led to your debt, as well as your legal options. Because we care about our consumer clients, we provide all our services on a contingency fee basis. This means that you can pursue justice and restitution without worrying about legal fees – if we don’t win, you don’t pay.

Call our Tampa consumer law firm representing patients with medical debt at (813) 982-3663 to schedule an evaluation. Our firm full represents clients in Tampa, Carrollwood, Wesley Chapel, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Palm Harbor, and the greater Tampa Bay region.