Litigating on a Shoestring Budget
Very few attorneys will take a Minor Impact Soft Tissue case to court. Even if you ‘win’ the costs of getting a victory is vastly exceeded by the cost of going to court.
There is an exception – but that requires a very special chiropractor. The DC must be schooled not only as a medical expert but also as an accident reconstruction expert, plus training in biomechanical-clinical-mechanism of injury expert and treating physician at trial.
Yes all 4 roles.
The DC needs to be a qualified expert on ‘torn tissue injuries’
The DC needs training in Ax Recon: either at Northwestern, UC Riverside or Art Croft.
The DC ought to join the Society of Automotive Engineers [SAE]—which offers top scientific studies.
If you are interested in advancing to become a qualified expert let us know.
With the right DC, lawyers can justify the expense of trying MIST cases without spending 4 times the amount of the award.
Chiropractors have the most secure job
According to the financial company 24/7, Wall Street analyzed the 2014 unemployment rates from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics for nearly 600 jobs. The study found chiropractic jobs were the most secure, with an unemployment rate of just 0.1 percent.
“As long as you pay attention in class, and you’re putting forth all the effort, you’re going to be a great doc. You’re going to get patients, because you’re going to change lives,” said White a chiropractic student.
http://wqad.com/2015/03/27/chiropractors-have-the-most-secure-job-in-america/
When I do 2 units or therapeutic exercise, or add in ultrasound/E-Stim, etc., my daily bill per visit goes over $200. I hear that raises the red flag for insurance companies.
Dr. K;
Completely true. You are in the range of the top 10% high billers and your case will be delayed and thoroughly “investigated”. You probably don’t want this. You need to balance what’s best for the patient and the turnaround for payment.
Most insurance companies will $110 per visit if that is the average for 25 + visits.
28 Million Dollar Verdict vs. Kaiser
Chiro blows the whistle
In August 2008, 16 year old Anna Rahm began to experience severe back pain. It grew worse and in January 2009 she began to feel radiating pain down her right leg. She went to the family chiropractor. Treatments were unsuccessful and the DC asked the parents to get an MRI at Kaiser.
Kaiser instead told her to lose weight, see a nutritionist and an acupuncturist therapist. Still no MRI was ordered.
Eventually the MRI was ordered but too late. The origin on Anna’s pain was an aggressive large malignant tumor in her pelvis known as pelvic osteosarcoma. Anna underwent radical surgery to amputate her right leg and remove half her pelvis and fused her spine.
Clearly had Kaiser acted competently Anna’s leg and pelvis would have been saved. Anna was able to prove there were numerous "red flags”: including severe nighttime pain, severe neurological deficit, major motor weakness, clumsy gait or falling, fever and failure to improve in 6 weeks.
Kaiser claimed earlier diagnosis would not have affected the outcome.
This case went to arbitration, Two Motions for Summary Judgment to dismiss, two Writs to the Court of Appeal, three Petitions to the California Supreme Court. The case turned on Kaiser’s bad faith behavior. They will not only have to pay the judgment – but the millions they paid for their attorneys also.
Dr. Richard Mellinger, DC is a chiropractic hero.
Rahm v. S. Ca Permanente LA Superior Court BC 441742, Hon. Marc Marmaro
Jury 12-0 $28,215,278.00 plus costs.
PRACTICE TIP:
When the patient is increasing in pain and treatment is not working send your patient for an MRI or get a second opinion. The DC saved Anna’s life.
