Some medical insurers waive Station Fire victims' liens
11:52 AM Tue, Apr 21, 2009 | Permalink
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PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- A lawyer representing more than 100 of the Station nightclub fire victims told a federal judge Tuesday that some medical insurers have agreed to waive liens they have on the settlements that will go to victims who incurred hospital and doctors' bills. This means that some of the most badly burned victims stand to receive much more money than they might have receive if the medical insurers insisted on repayment from the personal injury awards. Lawyer Mark Mandell told U.S. Magistrate Judge David L. Martin that Blue Cross and Cigna have agreed to waive 100 percent of the charges their clients incurred as a result of the injuries they suffered from the Feb. 20, 2003, fire. And he said, Rhode Island Medicaid and Massachusetts Medicaid have agreed in most cases to waive 40 to 50 percent of the tab they incurred for low-income fire victims. The plaintiffs' lawyers have hired a firm to help negotiate lien waivers from the insurers, he said. Neogitations are ongoing. Mandell discussed the medical waivers during a status conference on the nightclub fire cases that are still pending in U.S. District Court here. All of the defendants remaining in the case have agreed to contribute a total of $176 million in settlement money to those who were injured or who lost a family member in the catastrophic blaze. The money, minus attorneys' fees and expenses, is to be divvied up among more than 300 people, including dozens of minors who lost a parent in the fire. Those who were most badly burned and were hospitalized the longest stand to become millionaires as a result of the settlements, but many of the victims will receive significantly less. Mandell told Martin Tuesday that a court-appointed neutral verification expert from Minnestoa and his team of workers -- which included some nurses -- has just finished an initial review of each victim's medical records. Additional information is being requested from some of the victims, he said, and is due within two weeks. None of the victims knows yet exactly how much he or she will receive in settlement money. Mandell told the court that by May 6, the neutral verification expert will assign each plaintiff a number of points that will then be calculated into separate grids that have been devised for awards for death and injury claims. Lawyers are hoping to get the money to the victims sometime this summer. The next court hearing in the case is scheduled for May 14.
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Excuse me ? I thought that one of the primary justifications for the lawsuits was to pay medical bills as a result of the fire? Nothing against the survivors but in many cases these medical providers save their lives, shouldn't they get paid ?
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It is very important to stay on top of your health and have a check up at least once a year to ensure that you remain healthy. Many health problems are curable but you need to catch them in time. Do not wait to go see a doctor because it may be too late.
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I do feel bad for those people that died and those that were injured, but it's time to move on with life.
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These folks are not lottery winners!!! I agree with JLK- the medical bills shoudl be paid from the settlements. I am very sorry for what happened & the most severly injured should be awarded enough money to continue any medical treatments they will need in the future & any special accomidations they need. But why should I pay 5 times over!! Who do you think pays for all those waived charges by BC & Cigna- the current policyholders!!! RI Medicaid- yup- me again! The 10M from the state- yup me again!! The- I'm sure- Social Security benefits- yup-me! Those additional folks now on state medical- you guessed it- me! And, I'm sure as a bonus- some have received Food Stamps over the period- yup me again. Enough is enough!! Pay the medical bills- award large sums to those who continue to need costly medical care. And spilt the rest. It was a tradgey- but I owe those folks only so much!
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How would you feel if you were one of these victims? CSA would you still say to move on with your life? How can you judge anyone without being in their situation? Think about it, if you were burned over 90 percent of your body would you just "move on"!!!
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I do agree.. It is time to move on with life. I feel very bad for those that died in the fire. The station property that I pass every day looks like a dump. Actually the dump looks nicer. Life goes on and this needs to be closed once and for all. I have a lot of sympathy for families but life does go on. I see cars there at midnight when I go to my residence late at night. Everyone should say a prayer for the deceased and the families... Rest in Piece...
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