Chiropractic treatment can be an enormous benefit to accident victims, but to think that the chiropractor should be your first call is a serious and often costly mistake.
When an unrepresented accident victim begins treating with a chiropractor who wants to treat first, and then recommend an attorney later, three unfortunate things can occur.
- First, a chiropractor may have you sign an “A&A”, which is a document that guarantees full payment of all bills out of your settlement. An attorney will advise you that you don’t need to sign this document. You are agreeing to pay the bills regardless of their reasonableness. That’s like signing a blank check. You are actually only responsible for bills that are considered fair and reasonable under the law. Judges routinely cut health care bills.
- A chiropractor may submit bills to your PIP insurance before you can use this limited amount of insurance to pay for the bills of your choice strategically. For example, hospital bills that quickly go into collections and affect your credit should be paid first. Further, often hospitals don’t reduce their bills. So, in this fashion, you are paying the provider who could reduce, instead of the one that never will.
- Some chiropractors even contact the other driver’s insurance for payment, leading to unwanted phone calls to you from the insurance company. If you’re represented, the insurance company can’t call you. The smallest seemingly harmless comments to an adjuster often lay the groundwork for a reduced recovery.
If you’ve been injured in an auto accident, you need a top-rated personal injury lawyer to immediately protect your interest and guide you in the best direction. We’re Portner & Shure. Look us up, then you’ll hire us.
