A Pinckney woman bitten by a rattlesnake could be facing hefty hospital bills.

61-year-old Laura Bowen was bitten on her leg August 20th by an Eastern Massasauga rattlesnake in her yard. She had been cleaning out her garage and was walking back and forth between her garage and home. Bowen ended up spending four days in a hospital and received a total of ten vials of anti-venom. She went back and forth between the hospital and home after blood tests revealed she needed more of the anti-venom.

Neighbors reportedly helped find the snake and relocated it away from her home. Bowen came home for good Monday but is now faced with questions surrounding the potential insurance claim. The claim has not been processed yet but Bowen said each vial of anti-venom is $3,000. That means if the claim is not covered, she’ll be facing a bill of more than $30,000 for treatment of the snake bite.

The Eastern Massasauga rattlesnake is Michigan's only venomous snake. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service says “although many people have an innate fear of massasaugas, it is actually a secretive, docile snake that strikes humans only when it feels threatened and cornered.” (JM)