Dad decries $150K lien in case of Good Samaritan

Woman lost legs helping motorist

Three days after a Good Samaritan’s legs were severed in an automobile accident, the hospital that treated her filed a lien for more than $60,000 against her.

A week later, Lee Memorial Hospital revised its claim to more than $150,000 for five days of care.

Danielle Hagmann, 30, of North Fort Myers, Fla., lost her legs April 23 when she stopped to help a motorist whose vehicle spun out of control during a rainstorm. She was reaching for a blanket in the back of her SUV when a third vehicle hit the stopped car, pinning Hagmann against a guardrail.

On April 26, the hospital filed its financial claim against Hagmann, a freelance licensed massage therapist without health insurance. On May 3, the revised amount filed with the Lee County Clerk of Court’s Office was $151,478.80. “I didn’t realize in the first three days of her crisis, they would do it,” said Steven Berkowitz, Hagmann’s father. “It’s not fair. That’s heinous.”

A document from Lee Memorial Health System explains that the lien “applies only to money which may be paid by an insurance company” and does not affect a patient’s property.

That would give the hospital system a claim on money Hagmann might collect from her auto insurance company or the insurer of the driver whose actions caused her to be pinned. Jeremy Alonza Carter, 37, of St. Petersburg suffered minor injuries and was issued a citation for careless driving.

“It’s not unusual for people to think it’s a lien on their home, but it’s not,” said Mary Briggs, spokeswoman for the health system.