After an Accident Should My Personal Injury Lawyer Select My Doctor?

We say no. Among personal injury attorneys, there are definitely different schools of thought on this issue. Some lawyers are very comfortable fostering relationships with certain doctors and clinics and directing their clients to treat at those various clinics. However, in our view, these lawyer/doctor relationships look suspect and insurance companies are well versed in seeing patterns where every time a certain lawyer is on a case, so too is a certain doctor.

In addition to creating a credibility issue with the insurance company, the other problem is that the lawyer develops a real close relationship with the doctor.

One has to wonder, which side the lawyer is going to be on if there is a dispute over the amount of money that the doctor should be entitled to from the settlement or recovery in the case? While a lawyer's obligation is to represent the best interests of his client, if the lawyer has a close relationship with the doctor, it causes at least the appearance of impropriety. In our view, the cleanest way for a person to get medical care where the insurance company never calls into question the integrity of the doctor's opinion is for the lawyer to stay out of this process. If you are injured in a car accident, we highly recommend that you go to a hospital or urgent care facility to begin with, and then to your primary care physician if you need further treatment. All referrals to specialists should be made by your primary care physician.

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