Many referral services connect prospective clients with lawyers who have agreed to provide a low-cost or free initial consultation. Referral services are often provided by state and local bar associations as a public service. Referral services may also be offered by non-profit organizations and advocacy groups.
Robert LewinIn this lawsuit, GEICO alleges that 411 PAIN, its parent company Path Medical, and its owner Robert Lewin all conspired to fraudulently scam GEICO out of millions of dollars by violating a plethora of laws, by embellishing medical codes, and by charging for services they never performed.Jul 21, 2021
When the ties are too close, the attorney’s judgment is impacted by the potential loss of business from a disgruntled referral source. You should never forget that your case belongs to you. You might hire an attorney to help you with it but it is still your case and your attorney works for you.
In the case of Alberta Ellison v. Randy Willoughby, Case Number 2D19-1961 (Fla. 2d DCA June 11, 2021), Florida’s Second DCA held that a tortfeasor does not get a setoff for bad faith on the part of the injured person’s insurance company. Facts of the...
As the Florida Bar and others have suggested, the members of 411-Pain often encourage injury victims to seek therapy through Chiropractors who have also paid a fee to be a part of the same referral network. This creates an inherent conflict of interest as your attorney may advise you to seek treatment that is either not necessary or encourage an amount of treatment that is disproportionate to the accident. Further, the same lawyer and Chiropractor may avoid sending the patient to a specialist like a Physiatrist (Physical medicine specialist) or Orthopedic Surgeon until the PIP (personal injury protection) benefits are used up. Several victims who utilized 411-Pain to retain an attorney allege that their assigned lawyer encouraged them to receive medical treatment over and over and failed to state that the majority of the settlement proceeds would be used to pay the accumulated medical bills. Sadly, the longer you receive medical treatment, the more PIP can be billed by the doctors until the $10,000.00 benefit amount is exhausted.
The potential for a conflict of interest continues to be a problem for 411-Pain and other referral services. According to Grier Wells, a Jacksonville lawyer chairing the Florida Bar’s committee: “Lawyers have shown up at medical clinics unsolicited to meet accident victims — apparently tipped off by a referral service. Other lawyers might face a legal quandary: Do they have an allegiance to the client or to a medical provider that’s part of the accident hotline network?” This is quite a scary proposition. I have been retained by a number of clients who personally found their prior lawyer through a referral service and were pushed into extensive treatment with a Chiropractor by said attorney. The lawyer failed to explain their relationship with the lawyer referral service or disclose that both the law firm and the physician paid to be a member of the same network. When the client failed to show up for treatment, both the lawyer and Chiropractor would call them on the very same day. It appeared that the attorney and chiro were working together in cahoots”.
One recommendation prohibits lawyers from accepting a referral from a service that also referred the client for another professional service, such as medical care although the Florida Supreme Court has not yet adopted any new rules as of this time.
Our referral intake line is open from Monday – Friday, 8.00 AM to 4:30 PM at ( 512) 472-8303 where you get a chance to speak to our intake staff. Alternatively, you can submit an online request any time of the day via our website: www.AustinLRS.org and we will get back to you on the next business day.
We have a team of referral intake counselors to help you find help with your legal need either by finding an experienced lawyer or another community service. When you contact LRS, our trained staff will ask questions about your legal issues to determine how best to direct you.
During your first consultation with the lawyer, you will discuss the legal situation of your case and the costs involved. A consult fee of $20 is charged for the first 30 minutes after which charges may vary depending on the lawyer.