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Publications & Seminars
Related Articles: Personal Injury
This article
is intended to provide general information on Virginia law, and is not intended
to be relied upon as a substitute for legal advice for specific situations. The
contents of the article may be out-of-date, since it was produced at a specific
time and may not have been updated.
Chiropractors Provide Treatment to Personal Injury Patients
An
auto accident victim who has been helped by chiropractic treatment
is as likely to praise the doctor's personal attention as
the professional treatment. Such personal attention has become
the hallmark of chiropractic. The clients of Edward Gross
tell us how pleased they were that their chiropractor was
able to see them on the same day they called; that the doctor
actually listened to their complaints; that the doctor returned
their phone calls; that the doctor told them frequently how
they were progressing; that the doctor and his staff really
cared.
They should get the same treatment from their lawyer. An accident
victim should visit a lawyer as soon after the accident as
possible. It is important for your lawyer to spend as much
time as it takes to go over the case. How did the collision
occur? What injuries did the victim suffer? How much time
has been lost from work, and how much is the wage loss? How
much are the medical bills? What lifestyle problems have been
caused by the injuries?
It is the attorney's job to assist clients in obtaining the
maximum recovery to which they are entitled. As part of this
process, the client should keep a "pain diary," making daily
entries to help document pain and discomfort. The attorney
will review the available auto and health insurance policies,
so that sources of compensation can be identified to enable
payment to the doctor and repair of the automobile.
The first contact an accident victim makes with a lawyer should
not be the last one; there should be an ongoing lawyer/client
relationship. Clients need to be informed at every step of
the way. Office policy must require return of all phone calls
and meetings with a client whenever requested. In the meantime,
the attorney will be in touch with the doctors to get their
reports, and with the various insurance companies.
Attorneys are compensated on a contingency fee basis. Thus,
there is no financial incentive to spend more time than necessary
with the client. However, we believe that client contact with
personal attention results in higher settlements and satisfied
clients. The chiropractic doctor's philosophy of personal
attention works in the medical and legal areas. Obtaining
the maximum damage award is clearly of paramount importance,
but we're not satisfied unless our client believes that we
care.
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