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Ratings. Guidance. The Right Lawyer.
Recourse against an animal hospital
New York, NY
Viewed 18 times.
Posted about 1 month ago in Lawsuits / Disputes
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My cat suffered a 3 story fall and I brought her to an animal hospital. After an xray was done the vet told me that there was a clean break in her leg but will need surgery.
I made a tough decision to put my cat down because she was 10+ yrs old. The vet refused to respect my wishes and gave me two options: do the surgery or sign my cat over to the animal hospital. I reluctantly opted for the surgery. The surgeon informed me that my cat's leg was broken in three places and that she would require screws and plates and her liver was damaged and was not allowing blood flow. My cat never did not wake up from the anesthesia. Now the animal hospital sent me a bill for $7,000 and I am wondering if I have to pay the full amount since I wanted to put my cat down from the start? Answers (2)
L. Maxwell Taylor
This attorney is licensed in California and 1 other state.
Posted about 1 month ago.
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You yourself said, "I reluctantly opted for the surgery." They gave you an out: You pay or we pay and keep the cat. You said, "I'll pay." They didn't say the cat would survive and they couldn't say that. There was a bad result, which is always possible with surgery. But the bottom line is, you had the power to say at the outset, Animal Hospital, do what you will, I won't pay for surgery, I give you responsibility for the cat.
But you didn't do that. So I suspect a jury would find you breached your contract with the hospital and award the hospital the reasonable value of its services. It might be less than they've charged you, I don't know. You could try negotiating a settlement of the bill for less than its full value. I'm not licensed to practice in New York so don't take that as legal advice. It's simply my analysis of the facts you presented based on general principles of law which is intended to educate. If you need legal advice, please consult a lawyer who holds New York licensure. Good luck. 
Laura Mcfarland-Taylor
This attorney is licensed in Illinois.
Posted about 1 month ago.
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I agree with my colleague - you agreed to the surgery, you have to pay the bill.
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