Last Updated On: 23 October 2012

Should Attorneys Find Doctors for their Injury Clients?

There are two sides to the argument; should attorneys pick the doctor or should the client pick. In the first instance where the personal injury attorney is allowed to pick the doctor, there are pros and cons to that decision. In the case of a minor where the parents might not be able to afford a doctor visit and treatment, an attorney is able to refer their client to a doctor who will be able to treat that person and may even do it on a lien. Also, the doctor’s input and communication with the personal injury attorney will aid the attorney to be able to present the case to the insurance company and/or a jury with more accuracy and knowledge. The negative is that the court or insurance company may have reservations about the legitimacy of the doctor’s recommendation. It can be inferred that the attorney sends his client to a specific doctor who will inflate prices to improve the settlement monies for both individuals (attorney and doctor). The other option is to allow the client to choose the doctor they want to visit. The biggest positive to this option is, if and when the case goes to trial and is presented before a jury it has more validity. Jurors tend to view the client’s choice as more legitimate and will assume there are no hidden agendas. The main drawback to this option is the settlement amount the doctor will receive. Most attorneys have a good working relationship with doctors they refer to so they are more able to reduce the doctor fees and put more money into their clients’ pockets.  However, in the long run most doctors whether selected by the attorney, client, and insurance company tend to give similar opinions. The more alike these recommendations are the easier the case will settle which is a good thing for everyone involved. A big improvement to this whole process is the creation of PowerLiens.com, it has made the selection process much easier. Like in the past, clients are able to turn over the case to their attorney. However, the attorneys can now use Power Liens to find doctors who work with personal injury liens. Attorneys had to spend years building up a directory that they could use to find doctors, now they are able to use Power Liens and find a doctor in minutes. Our new website allows attorneys to use several doctors they cannot be “linked” to in the past making the selection to be seen as a more legitimate process by insurance companies and jurors. In conclusion, PowerLiens.com makes a very complicated decision become less cumbersome for all parties involved.