There's an injured person (the plaintiff) and a lienholder (the County, who paid for a portion of the injured person's medical care). On first glace, I'd have thought that the defendant satisfied its obligation to both of 'em if it wrote a check payable to both parties and then let those two fight it out. Moreover, that practice is, in fact, what lots of defendants do, in my experience. I'd have thought it just fine.
The Court of Appeal disagrees. And Justice Rushing persuades me that, instead, the defendant has to do something more complicated; e.g., file an interpleader action.
Good to know. For everyone.
