Yes! We have had clients come to our office after being treated by chiropractors for a year and a bill of $30,000! For a simple soft tissue injury, it is almost impossible to even get that $30,000 bill covered let alone money in the injured person’s pocket.
Unfortunately, there are treatment providers out there who will continue to treat and bill even when they know their modality is not working.
Generally speaking, the insurance company (and juries) do not consider a year of chiropractic treatment to be “reasonable and necessary” for a soft tissue injury. This situation usually leaves the injured person stuck with a good portion of the bill and no money for pain and suffering.
How Do You Know Who To Trust For Medical Care?
Obviously, if you are in an emergency situation, you are going to be sent to the nearest hospital and you must rely on that care. However, for follow up care, there is a lot more flexibility as far as choosing the right doctors.
While lawyers are not doctors and should not give medical advice, personal injury lawyers tend to know some really good doctors. We deal with so many treatment providers that you start to see patterns in care and how well the doctor is able to document the patient’s injuries.
This is so important for the best medical recovery but also, in the end, when the lawyer is trying to demonstrate to the insurance company or a jury how the accident impacted the client’s life. A great doctor can make all of the difference in a high value complex personal injury case.
Most Critical: Follow Up Specialists
One of the critical “gaps” for injury victims is understanding how to find the right follow up medical providers. For example, on our dog bite cases, there is frequently a need for plastic surgery and scar revision.
For most people, trying to find the best plastic surgeon for dog bite scars is no easy task. If you add the need for a specialist to assess long term nerve damage, it might take an injury victim months to track down the right provider and get an appointment. This is where an experienced personal injury attorney can really make a difference!
Having the right medical team with experience in documenting injuries for trial is invaluable. Without the team of specialists, cases can be viewed as much less valuable to a jury. The jury really needs to see x-rays, MRIs, scar photos, surgery revisions, and they need to hear from those treating physicians to understand the long road to recovery for an injury victim.
The best injury attorneys will know which doctors present the best cases. That is key to getting compensated for the pain and suffering that you will go through for months or years to come.
Get A Free Consultation
So, if you are feeling unsure about your medical team, it never hurts to ask your personal injury lawyer if they have specialists they know to have good reviews and good outcomes. Having the right medical team is as critical as having the right legal team when it comes to getting the financial compensation you deserve after an accident.
If you are unsure about how to handle your injury case or what your case is worth, don’t guess. We are here 7 days a week to talk you through it. We have offices in Kitsap County and Thurston County for your convenience. There is no charge to determine if your issue is one that we handle. And, if not, we will try to get you pointed in the right direction. Give us a call today. (360) 792-1000 or request a call.
