Snakes and other attorneys

Friday, October 21, 2005

There are many jokes elevating snakes to a better position in life over attorneys. When you hear a story like I heard tonight, you realize why.

I went to my hairdresser after work today, and he needed some advice. A few weeks ago a driver ran a red light and struck the car his wife was driving. Because they weren't sure how to handle the PIP [Personal Injury Protection] claim with their carrier, a friend had suggested they contact an attorney she recommended. When the wife called and told the attorney what orthopedic surgeon she had seen, he told her that he wanted her to start seeing his doctor because he didn't want her getting well... She told him no thanks and is checking into other attorneys.

Why would an attorney want a client to switch to a doctor who can't heal their injuries? For starters, in Florida depending on the policy provisions, PIP coverage generally is up to $10,000. for medical bills and wage loss. Once an injured person blows through this, it helps the person to meet one of the jurisdictional requirements to file a personal injury law suit. Of course, there's the matter of damages, including pain and suffering. If a person doesn't get better, so much better for the attorney to argue to a jury that his client deserves a high jury award

I don't know what bothers me most about what was said to my hairdresser's wife: that the attorney wanted to change her from a good doctor whose treatment might improve her condition or that there's a doctor out there possibly taking on this attorney's clients with the goal not to make them better.

A snake and a lawyer both got hit by a car. What's the difference between em? The snake had skid marks in front of him.

Go figure.

Carol Stephenson