I hear THIS complaint about lawyers virtually EVERY DAY.

Biggest Complaint Clients Have About Their Lawyer...

The biggest complaint I hear from patients regarding their attorney is lack of communication. Multiple calls with no response.  The response from the lawyer's office is that the "lawyer is in court." Could be true or maybe it's not true, but either way, most clients can handle that, as long as they get a call back at some point.

But many times, the call never comes.

Now, I know that if you asked most lawyers, they would tell you that the number one question they get when a client calls, is "How is my case doing?"  And, I get it.  It's the same question over and over again, and its exhausting to have to be bothered with the redundancy of answering the same question over and over again.

But, come on.  As an attorney, you are getting paid very well to answer a few stupid questions.  It's not like it's that difficult.  What I am trying to say in a nice way, is that it could be worse, and for what fees that your client's are going to pay you, at least give them good customer service.   It's not so bad and it okay to take a few minutes out of your day to reach out to your clients...even if you just leave a message on voicemail.

So, I have a suggestion:  Take a little bit of time once every two or three weeks, and try and make a preemptive call out to your client.  Simply give a quick update.  For example, "Hey, its Attorney xyz, I just wanted to let you know that everything looks good on my end.  I sent out the letters of representation and requested policy information.  Just make sure you continue to take care of your injury, and I'll keep you posted in a couple of weeks if I have any updates.  But, don't worry, I'm on top of it."

If you did THAT, and that ONLY, you would be providing a great service to the client, and at the very least you will be easing their mind.  If you made a call like that one or two times a month, not only would you satisfy the client, but they would also be more inclined to stay more compliant with treatment, make referrals to you, and EVEN if the case did not turn out wonderful, at least the client would know that you were working very hard and staying on top of their case, and did the best you could do.

I have been treating accident patients in S. Florida for almost 22 years now.  If any of your client's need a treating doctor in the S. Florida area, please have them give me a call.

Thank you.

Dr. Alan Himmel
954-659-8600  

How to Properly Manage a Personal Injury Patient

Proper management of an injury patient is an important part of patient care that should not be overlooked.  When a new patient comes into my office, I always make sure that the patient has a clear understanding of the process.

The procedure involves detailed documentation of the patient's history, which includes finding out about prior injuries, car accidents, prior medical treatment for any body part, even if the treated body part was not accident related.  The reason behind this, is that all parties involved will want to know whether the patient's new injury overlaps with any prior medically treated areas of the patient's body.

Moreover, included in the history are any other medical conditions, as well as family history, and prescriptions currently being taken.  From this, you can learn a lot.  For example, a patient recently told me that she has a family history of aneurysm resulting in death to her sister and father. Chiropractors should never overlook this history, and blatantly do cervical adjustments on these types of patients.

At the end of the initial visit, there should be an initial report written and each subsequent visit with the doctor should be documented in standard SOAP form.  The patient always signs the chart note for the visit.  No signature and no visit ever happened.

I almost always make sure the patient is quickly referred to an orthopedic specialist or his medical doctor who could also diagnose emergency medical condition if necessary.  Emergency medical condition or EMC, is specific to Florida, and is required if the patient has a more serious injury, and its purpose is that it frees up the patient's full insurance benefit, if extensive treatment is necessary.  The insurance company is counting on the fact that the patient will not have an EMC and will only be responsible for 25% of the claim.  Without it, the insurance company takes away 75% of the patents insurance benefit.

Soft tissue injuries are better diagnosed with objective tests, like MRI.  Sometimes, X-rays are ordered if fracture or dislocation is suspected.  Most of the time however, x-rays do not turn up injury in patients that have injuries that are soft tissue in nature.  Over the years, I have seen some broken ribs, sternums, and bones in the hands and feet, but this is rare.  X-rays have shown dislocations, over the years,

Depending on the frequency of the visit, the course of treatment can vary between a couple months and upward of 6 months or more.

Any other referrals will be made if necessary, including orthopedic doctors, neurologists, podiatrists, mental health doctors, etc.

Finally, a report is generated when the patient is released from standard care, at maximum medical improvement, MMI.  If there is a request for an impairment rating, I will provide the rating in the report, and forward the report to the attorney who is helping to resolve any claims.

During this whole process, COMMUNICATION is key so that everyone is on the same page, and nothing is missed.

I have been seeing mainly personal injury type patients for 20+ years.  If you have been involved in a car accident, don't hesitate.  Please call my office to schedule your first visit.  If you are a lawyer and have a client who you think could benefit from an experienced doctor in regard to accident care, I will love to see that person.  It is NOT my goal to provide GOOD care to my patients;  it IS my goal to provide EXCELLENT care to my patients.

Alan Himmel, DC PA.
954-659-8600