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?

A: 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.

by Kevin Duffan

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Kevin is a Virginia injury attorney who handles car accidents, medical malpractice, wrongful death, etc.