My husband was seriously hurt in an accident and now owes thousands of dollars to the hospital and emergency room. As his wife, am I liable for those medical bills? | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

Yes.

Virginia Code Sec. 8.01-220.2 states that each spouse is “jointly and severally” liable for all emergency medical care administered to the other spouse by a doctor who has a license to practice in Virginia or by a Virginia hospital. This includes all initial emergency and subsequent follow-up care that was provided on an inpatient basis while the husband and wife were living together.

This is one of many reasons it is so important to speak with a Virginia-based personal injury lawyer if you or a member of your family suffered a serious injury in an accident that was caused by another person or by a company’s negligent actions. Racking up large medical bills following an accident is bad enough. It is even worse to have that financial burden passed on to your loved ones.