Wisconsin Statutes
Wis. Stat. § 779.80 (2026)
Hospital liens
✓ current as of July 2026
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779.80(1)(1) Every corporation, association or other organization operating as a charitable institution and maintaining a hospital in this state shall have a lien for services rendered, by way of treatment, care or maintenance, to any person who has sustained personal injuries as a result of the negligence, wrongful act or any tort of any other person.
779.80(2)(2) Such lien shall attach to any and all rights of action, suits, claims, demands and upon any judgment, award or determination, and upon the proceeds of any settlement which such injured person, or legal representatives might have against any such other person for damages on account of such injuries, for the amount of the reasonable and necessary charges of such hospital.
779.80(3)(3) No such lien shall be effective unless a written notice containing the name and address of the injured person, the date and location of the event causing such injuries, the name and location of the hospital, and if ascertainable by reasonable diligence, the names and addresses of the persons alleged to be liable for damages sustained by such injured person, shall be filed in the office of the clerk of circuit court in the county in which such injuries have occurred, or in the county in which such hospital is located, or in the county in which suit for recovery of such damages is pending, prior to the payment of any moneys to such injured person or legal representatives, but in no event later than 60 days after discharge of such injured person from the hospital.
779.80(3)(a)(a) The clerk of circuit court shall enter all hospital liens in the judgment and lien docket, including the name of the injured person, the date of the event causing the injury and the name of the hospital or other institution making the claim. The clerk of circuit court shall receive the fee prescribed in s. 814.61 (5) for entering each lien.
779.80(3)(b)(b) Within 10 days after filing of the notice of lien, the hospital shall send by certified mail or registered mail or serve personally a copy of such notice with the date of filing thereof to or upon the injured person and the person alleged to be liable for damages sustained by such injured person, if ascertained by reasonable diligence. If such hospital fails to give notice if the name and address of the person injured or the person allegedly liable for the injury are known or should be known, the lien shall be void.
779.80(3)(c)(c) The hospital shall also serve a copy of such notice, as provided in par. (b), to any insurer which has insured such person alleged to be liable for the injury against such liability, if the name and address may be ascertained by reasonable diligence.
779.80(4)(4) After filing and service of the notice of lien, no release of any judgment, claim or demand by the injured person shall be valid as against such lien, and the person making any payment to such injured person or legal representatives as compensation for the injuries sustained shall, for a period of one year from the date of such payment, remain liable to the hospital for the amount of such lien.
779.80(5)(5) Such lien shall not in any way prejudice or interfere with any lien or contract which may be made by such injured person or legal representatives with any attorney or attorneys for legal services rendered with respect to the claim of the injured person or legal representatives against the person alleged to be liable for such injury. Said lien shall also be subservient to actual taxable court costs, and actual disbursements made by the attorney in prosecuting the court action.
779.80(6)(6) No hospital is entitled to any lien under this section if the person injured is eligible for compensation under ch. 102 or any other worker’s compensation act.
779.80 HistoryHistory: 1975 c. 147 s. 54; 1979 c. 32 s. 57; 1979 c. 89; 1979 c. 102 s. 236 (3); 1979 c. 176; Stats. 1979 s. 779.80; 1981 c. 317; 1991 a. 179; 1995 a. 224.
779.80 AnnotationUnder s. 609.91, a health maintenance organization (HMO) enrollee has no personal liability for the costs of covered health care received. A hospital only has recourse against the HMO and may not assert its lien rights under this section against insurance proceeds paid by a tortfeasor’s insurer to the HMO enrollee. Dorr v. Sacred Heart Hospital, 228 Wis. 2d 425, 597 N.W.2d 462 (Ct. App. 1999), 98-1772.
779.80 AnnotationThe circuit court did not err in interpreting federal Medicare law to allow a hospital to enforce a lien under this section after expiration of the time period within which the hospital could have billed Medicare for the plaintiff’s treatment. Laska v. General Casualty Co. of Wisconsin, 2013 WI App 42, 347 Wis. 2d 356, 830 N.W.2d 252, 10-2410.
779.80 AnnotationAn attorney or law firm that receives and then distributes a settlement payment on a personal injury claim is not, under sub. (4), a person making any payment to the injured person as compensation for the injuries sustained. The tortfeasor’s insurer that made a payment to the injured person through the injured party’s attorney is such a person because it made payment to the injured person as compensation for the injuries sustained. Watertown Regional Medical Center, Inc. v. General Casualty Insurance Co., 2014 WI App 62, 354 Wis. 2d 195, 848 N.W.2d 890, 13-2324.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 11
cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1985–2024 · leading case: Dorr v. Sacred Heart Hosp., 597 N.W.2d 462 (Wis. Ct. App. 1999).
Dorr v. Sacred Heart Hosp., 597 N.W.2d 462 (Wis. Ct. App. 1999). “This case arose as a result of the hospital filing a hospital lien pursuant to § 779.80, Stats., on liability insurance settlement proceeds due Beverly, who sustained injuries in an automobile accident.”
Gister v. Am. Fam. Mut. Ins., 2012 WI 86 (Wis. 2012). “See Wis. Stat. § 779.80 (2) (making clear that hospital liens attach only "to any and all rights of actions, suits, claims, demands and upon any judgment, award or determination and upon the proceeds of any settlement which such injured person, or legal representative might have…”
Yorgan v. Durkin, 2006 WI 60 (Wis. 2006). “Wis. Stat. § 779.80 . [11] In order for such a lien to attach to a personal injury claim or the proceeds resulting from it, the hospital must comply with detailed notice requirements.”
Matter of Harris, 50 B.R. 157 (Bankr. E.D. Wis. 1985). “§ 779.80. DISCUSSION I The debtor claimed $24,936.”
Doroshow, Pasquale, Krawitz & Bhaya v. Nanticoke Mem'l Hosp., Inc., 36 A.3d 336 (Del. 2012). “Codified Laws §§ 44-12-1 , 2 (2004); Wisconsin, Wis. Stat. § 779.80 (2001). . Illinois, 770 III.”
Laska v. Gen. Cas. Co., 2013 WI App 42 (Wis. Ct. App. 2013). “Instead of billing Medicare, the Hospital filed a lien under the hospital lien statute, Wis. Stat. § 779.80 (2011-12), 1 which provides, in part, as follows: (1) Every corporation, association or other organization operating as a charitable institution and maintaining a hospital…”
St. Agnes Hosp. v. Jaeckel, 616 F. Supp. 426 (E.D. Wis. 1985). “Agnes Hospital seeks to foreclose on a hospital lien created by § 779.80, Wis.. Stats., against proceeds of a $25,000.”
Watertown Reg'l Med. Ctr., Inc. v. Gen. Cas. Ins., 2014 WI App 62 (Wis. Ct. App. 2014). “The primary question here is one of statutory interpretation involving whether, under the hospital lien statute, Wis. Stat. § 779.80 , 3 an attorney or law firm who receives and then distributes a settlement *200 payment on a personal injury claim is, under the lien statute's…”
Spence v. Regions Hosp., 384 F. Supp. 2d 1313 (W.D. Wis. 2005). “Wis. Stat. § 779.80 (1) and (4). (The law provides that if payment is made to the injured person or to the legal representatives without satisfaction of the lien, the payer remains liable to the hospital for the amount of the lien for a period of one year from the date of such…”
Torres v. Dean Health Plan, Inc., 2005 WI App 89 (Wis. Ct. App. 2005). “The issue in Dorr was whether a non-HMO medical provider (Sacred Heart Hospital) could forgo its contractual right to payment from an HMO (Group Health) and instead file a hospital lien under Wis. Stat. § 779.80 against the HMO's enrollee.”
Wisconsin State Legislature v. Josh Kaul (Wis. Ct. App. 2024). “See, e.g., WIS. STAT. § 102.29(d) (referring to “distribution of the proceeds of the settlement”); WIS.”
— Wis. Stat. § 779.80(1) — 1 case
Dorr v. Sacred Heart Hosp., 597 N.W.2d 462 (Wis. Ct. App. 1999). “This case arose as a result of the hospital filing a hospital lien pursuant to § 779.80, Stats., on liability insurance settlement proceeds due Beverly, who sustained injuries in an automobile accident.”
— Wis. Stat. § 779.80(2) — 3 cases
Yorgan v. Durkin, 2006 WI 60 (Wis. 2006). “Wis. Stat. § 779.80 . [11] In order for such a lien to attach to a personal injury claim or the proceeds resulting from it, the hospital must comply with detailed notice requirements.”
Dorr v. Sacred Heart Hosp., 597 N.W.2d 462 (Wis. Ct. App. 1999). “This case arose as a result of the hospital filing a hospital lien pursuant to § 779.80, Stats., on liability insurance settlement proceeds due Beverly, who sustained injuries in an automobile accident.”
Wisconsin State Legislature v. Josh Kaul (Wis. Ct. App. 2024). “See, e.g., WIS. STAT. § 102.29(d) (referring to “distribution of the proceeds of the settlement”); WIS.”
— Wis. Stat. § 779.80(3)(a) — 1 case
Matter of Harris, 50 B.R. 157 (Bankr. E.D. Wis. 1985). “§ 779.80. DISCUSSION I The debtor claimed $24,936.”
— Wis. Stat. § 779.80(3)(b) — 1 case
Matter of Harris, 50 B.R. 157 (Bankr. E.D. Wis. 1985). “§ 779.80. DISCUSSION I The debtor claimed $24,936.”
— Wis. Stat. § 779.80(4) — 2 cases
Spence v. Regions Hosp., 384 F. Supp. 2d 1313 (W.D. Wis. 2005). “Wis. Stat. § 779.80 (1) and (4). (The law provides that if payment is made to the injured person or to the legal representatives without satisfaction of the lien, the payer remains liable to the hospital for the amount of the lien for a period of one year from the date of such…”
Watertown Reg'l Med. Ctr., Inc. v. Gen. Cas. Ins., 2014 WI App 62 (Wis. Ct. App. 2014). “The primary question here is one of statutory interpretation involving whether, under the hospital lien statute, Wis. Stat. § 779.80 , 3 an attorney or law firm who receives and then distributes a settlement *200 payment on a personal injury claim is, under the lien statute's…”
— Wis. Stat. § 779.80(5) — 1 case
St. Agnes Hosp. v. Jaeckel, 616 F. Supp. 426 (E.D. Wis. 1985). “Agnes Hospital seeks to foreclose on a hospital lien created by § 779.80, Wis.. Stats., against proceeds of a $25,000.”
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