Accident: Call A Lawyer Referral Service Or Personal Injury Attorney?

By Author: Elison Duncan
Total Articles: 8
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As a Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorney, I am oftentimes amazed by how many individuals involved in automobile accidents contact a lawyer referral service such as “411- pain” or “1-800-Ask-Gary” for legal representation. A large majority of these referral services are nothing more than chiropractic offices masquerading as legal providers.

The Florida Bar strictly regulates how personal injury and accident attorneys advertise to clients. The Florida Bar does not regulate lawyer referral services, however. As a result, lawyer referral services use misleading advertisements (such as billboards and catchy jingles) to deceive uninformed accident victims into believing that the chiropractor can “obtain settlements and judgments” on their behalf

How do legal referral services make money?

Chiropractic offices operating as lawyer referral services make their money primarily from exhausting an accident victim’s personal injury protection (PIP) benefits. In Florida, PIP coverage pays up to $10,000.00 in benefits, regardless of fault, for bodily injuries. An aggressive chiropractor can rack through ...
... $10,000.00 in bills in just a matter of weeks. This is why lawyer referral services flood the airwaves with advertisements – they are making a fortune on accident victim’s PIP benefits.

In their advertisements, referral services suggest that individuals involved in accidents are entitled to an “immediate $10,000 in cash (PIP),” when in fact, that is not the case, as this money is for medical care and lost wages, not compensation for your injuries

Once the chiropractor exhausts the PIP benefits they typically pass the client along to an outside lawyer in their network. In our experience, if the client does not have medical insurance, the chiropractor will usually end their treatment claiming “maximum medical improvement” or “MMI”. Oftentimes these personal injury attorney fort lauderdale have loose financial relationships with the chiropractor’s office. The  personal injury attorney fort lauderdale will send all their accident cases to one chiropractic group in exchange for the chiropractic group (legal referral service) recommending their patients to the personal injury attorney. The Florida Attorney General’s Office is currently pursuing lawsuits against a number of legal referral services for alleged kickbacks to/from personal injury attorneys.

Why contact a personal injury attorney directly over a legal referral service?

If you or a loved one is involved in an automobile accident in Fort Lauderdale, it is important to first speak with an experienced personal injury attorney, not a referral service run by chiropractors. An experienced personal injury attorney fort lauderdale can evaluate your case, recommend the appropriate medical providers, if requested, (orthopedic surgeon, neurologist, etc.), and begin to prepare the presentation of your case to the insurance company by speaking with witnesses, retaining an investigator / expert(s), taking pictures, preserving evidence, obtaining the insurance limits / DEC page, checking for Med Pay provisions, and negotiating with the insurance adjuster. Additionally, an experienced personal injury attorney fort lauderdale will explore all possible “pockets” to compensate the accident victim for their injuries.

Don’t be fooled by flashy billboards – choose your personal injury attorney fort lauderdale by reviewing credentials such as whether the personal injury attorney is “AV” rated by Martindale, Board Certified, Legal Elite, or a SuperLawyer and questioning the attorney’s trial experience. No matter how they spin it, a chiropractor or any other medical provider can’t get you compensation for your injuries. Only a seasoned, trial-tested accident and injury attorney can obtain maximum settlements for their clients.

Martindale “AV” rated personal injury attorney fort lauderdale Marc P. Lyons is a founding partner of Lyons, Snyder & Collin, P.A. in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorney fort lauderdale Marc P. Lyons is a former Broward County Economic Crime Prosecutor and handles all accident and injury matters including, automobile accidents, slip and falls, wrongful death, and dog bites. The Fort Lauderdale personal injury law firm of Lyons, Snyder & Collin, P.A. is located at 312 Southeast 17th Street, Third Floor, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33316. Telephone: 954.462.8035. http://www.lyonssnyder.com/

Martindale "AV" personal injury attorney fort lauderdale Marc P. Lyons is a founding partner of Lyons, Snyder & Collin, P.A. in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorney Marc P. Lyons handles all accident and injury matters including auto accidents, motorcycle accidents, slip and falls, wrongful death, and dog bites. The Fort Lauderdale personal injury law firm of Lyons, Snyder & Collin, P.A. is located at 312 Southeast 17th Street, Third Floor, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33316. Telephone: 954.462.8035. http://www.lyonssnyder.com/

The information in this article site was developed by Lyons, Snyder & Collin, P.A. for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice. The transmission and receipt of information from this article does not form or constitute an attorney-client relationship with Lyons, Snyder & Collin. Persons receiving the information from this article should not act upon the information provided without seeking profession legal counsel.

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