Medical Providers: Colorado Injury Update – Do’s and Don’ts when Referring Your Patients to Personal Injury Lawyers
Medical Providers: Colorado Injury Update – Do’s and Don’ts when Referring Your Patients to Personal Injury Lawyers
Whether you’ve been practicing medicine for decades or only a short time, you can probably identify many patients who have a valid personal injury claim. As a medical provider, you care about their physical condition, their lives, and financial struggles. You may want to refer them to a personal injury lawyer so that they can pursue the recovery they deserve when someone else caused their injuries.
Attorneys know that oriented and articulate medical providers are essential to all personal injury claims’ fair resolution. Likewise, experienced attorneys are crucial to the effective involvement of medical providers in the legal claim process. Attorneys can help ensure that injured individuals can pay for and receive the medical care they need. When you refer your patient to a reputable attorney, you can help ensure you receive payment for your services.
However, there are right and wrong ways to go about referring your patients to a lawyer who can help them with an injury claim. Consider these do’s and don’ts for medical providers when referring patients to personal injury lawyers.
The Do’s of Referring Your Patients to a Personal Injury Attorney
1. Do recognize the difference between providing legal advice and discussing the potential need for legal advice
Always remember that you are a medical professional, not a legal professional. You cannot provide your patients with legal advice. However, merely discussing with your patient that it might be prudent to meet with an attorney to discuss their situation and injuries isn’t categorized as providing legal advice. As long as your discussion with the patient focuses on their need for legal help, you won’t compromise your objectivity in their claim.
Do focus on the resources the patient needs and their well-being
When a legal claim is fairly resolved, it provides the resources the patient requires for their care. The patient’s physical well-being may in part depend on the legal help they receive. Suppose a complete evaluation of your patient’s condition calls for conversation about the potential need for legal representation. In that case, you should feel comfortable discussing the matter and give them any helpful information you have to offer.
2. Do Your Research and Know Who You Are Referring
Not all lawyers are created equally. You wouldn’t refer a patient to another medical provider you weren’t familiar or comfortable with. The same applies to your legal referrals. Only refer to an attorney that you know is reliable, ethical, and has a proven track record of success.
Before referring to a particular injury attorney, be sure to check their qualifications, knowledge, and credibility. You want to ensure that you are referring your patients to an attorney who is well-qualified, has experience in both negotiating and litigating claims, and with whom they can easily build a rapport. Referring your clients to an attorney like Dr. Patrick Collins, Esq. who has experience as both a chiropractic doctor and personal injury attorney, will ensure peace of mind and confidence in your patients that their case will be handled by a legal professional who comprehends the larger experience they are undertaking.
3. Do feel free to share your personal experiences
If you have had personal experience with a lawyer in a professional environment and obtained favorable results, this too can be shared with your patient. Just remember that the responsibility for selecting legal consultation or representation ultimately remains with your patient.
The Dont’s of Referring Your Patients to a Personal Injury Attorney
1. Don’t attempt to talk your patient into a legal claim
Even though you might believe a legal claim or legal consultation to be in your patient’s best interest medically and financially, it’s still their choice. It’s not your job or your place to talk to them into seeking legal help. In doing so, you could ultimately talk them into seeking a different medical provider. Do your best to convey why you believe it is in their best interest and give examples of others who have benefited from legal help.
2. Don’t make any promises
You wouldn’t promise your patient that a specific treatment will work or that they won’t experience a rare side effect. You know you can’t make those kinds of guarantees. Similarly, don’t make any promises that a lawyer will agree to represent them, they have a legitimate injury claim, they will be able to settle their claim fairly, or that obtaining a recovery will make their life better. Unfortunately, you just don’t know.
Consult with Dr. Patrick Collins, Esq. about Plaintiff Personal Injury Claims
If you’re a medical provider and have questions about referring your patients to a personal injury attorney, we can help. If you’re an injured individual who has questions about your doctor referring you to an attorney, we can help with that as well. At our firm, we know you have the right to choose the legal and medical support you need. We will always present you with your options and help you make decisions that will result in your situation’s best outcome. Give Dr. Patrick Collins, Esq. a call today to learn more!