Collateral source rule

Legal doctrine under torts that if an injured person receives proceeds for the injuries, the payment should not be deducted from the health or disability insurance (collateral source).
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Rule of civil legal procedure which bars from evidence information on most other (collateral) source from which a plaintiff may be able to collect compensation for harm caused by the defendant’s wrongful conduct. The rule aims to require the defendant to pay the full cost of the defendant’s wrongdoing.

Collection agency

Professional business service employed by a medical practice or hospital facility as an agent to pursue and attempt to collect unpaid or past-due accounts owed by a debtor that arose from an expressed or implied agreement. Generally, a collection agency is paid by receiving an agreed-upon percentage of the amount collected.