SAN DIEGO — A man who claims he received a medical consultation at Palomar Medical Center by a neurologist has filed suit, alleging a debt collector has violated federal law in trying to secure payment stemming from the medical consultation.
Adnan Rahman filed a complaint on Aug. 16 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California against San Diego Accounts Service, doing business as California Accounts Service, and Does 1-10, alleging that the debt collectors violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that on December 2012, he informed the defendants numerous times that he had already disputed the debt that the defendants alleged he owed to Dr. Tantuwaya. At the time of service, the plaintiff claims he was covered by Medi-Cal benefits. The defendants allegedly continued to ignore the dispute and persisted in collecting the debt. The plaintiff holds San Diego Accounts Service and Does 1-10 responsible because the defendant allegedly engaged in unfair debt collection activities and falsely represented the amount and legal status of the purported debt to major credit reporting agencies that affected the plaintiff's credit worthiness.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks $2,000 in statutory damages, actual damages, attorneys' fees, litigation costs, injunctive relief, punitive damages up to $5,000 for each violation, and other relief the court deems appropriate. He is represented by Patric Lester of Lester & Associates in San Diego and Joe Villaseñor of Legal Aid Society of San Diego Inc. in San Diego.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California case number 3:16-cv-02061