Physician Lien Act Strictly Interpreted: Courts Give no Leeway in Requiring Compliance

The Illinois Appellate Court has ruled that strict compliance with the Physician Lien Act is required in order for a physician to have an enforceable lien.

In the recent case of Meier vs. Olivero, the court determined that the physician, Dr. Meier, did not include several items required by the Physician Lien Act in order to have a valid lien.

These items were:

• The patient's address.
• The date of the injury.
• The physician's own address.
• The name of the party alleged to be liable to the patient.

The Appellate Court stated that liens created by statute are limited in operation and extent by the terms of the statute.

Since the physician did not observe the statutory requirements by including the above items, the lien was not considered valid.