1. Why Should I Use Your Service?
Because you’re about to make an important decision, which will likely have a significant impact on your life from this point forward. The fact is, most referral services are not owned and managed by lawyers who understand what attributes are most important in an attorney to obtain the best possible result for the client, and simply refer clients to those lawyers who pay the referral service for their cases. As for trying to search for a lawyer on your own, the reality is that unless you know the right questions to ask, you won’t know until your case is over whether or not the lawyer you choose really has the expertise, work ethic, or respect of their adversaries, all of which are necessary to get the job done right.

Click here to find out what the big law firms don't want you to know!

2. How much does your service cost?
I do not charge you any money at all. I am paid a portion of the fee that is earned by the attorney that I refer you to. I will be a party to the fee agreement between you and your lawyer, and will maintain professional responsibility on your file through it’s conclusion. This arrangement ensures that I will refer you to the attorney who I believe will get you the best possible result.

3. Do you handle any cases yourself?
Generally, I do not. However, there are some cases that I am very confident I can convince the defendant’s insurance company to tender their policy limit without the threat of a lawsuit and with minimal pressure. On these cases, I offer clients the opportunity to have me handle the case for a 20% fee. This can result in a significant saving to the client, as most other attorneys will give little, if any, discount from their full 33% fee.

4. Will you answer my legal questions prior to referring me to one of your lawyers?
Absolutely. As a practicing attorney in good standing with the Florida Bar, I am permitted to give legal advice. This is not the case with almost all other lawyer referral services.

5. I already spoke to the law firm of “Super & Star” because everyone knows them and everyone says they’re the biggest and best, and they turned me down. How can one of your lawyers help me?
A. It is important to note that even if a law firm has already declined your case, it does not necessarily mean that you do not have a viable claim. The fact is that many “big name” law firms simply do not take cases that are not “big enough” for them. If you have a whiplash type injury, and do not have any broken bones, torn ligaments, or the need for surgery, these firms feel that they will not make a large enough fee to make it worth their while.

Those people who find a “big name” law firm that is willing to accept their case are often disillusioned when among other things, their phone calls go unanswered, they are pawned off on a paralegal or secretary, or their settlement leaves them with less money than the law firm and doctors made.  I cannot stress enough the importance of an attorney’s attention to a client’s case.  Unfortunately, the dynamics of a large firm dictate that the “average” case, which the vast majority of cases are, is not given the same attention as the “large” cases in such a firm.  As a result, cases that appear “average” on their face are never given the opportunity to reach their true value, even though many cases that seem average are anything but.  For instance, it is very rare for an attorney who handles multi-million dollar cases to bother reading the medical records on an “average” case, until it is time to discuss settlement with the defendant’s insurance company.  Failure to review medical records as they come in makes it impossible for a good attorney to make appropriate suggestions for referrals to specialists, in the event that symptoms are displayed that indicate a more serious injury than what appears to be a simple “whiplash” injury.  For example, where a client is complaining about pain or numbness traveling into their arms or legs, the first thing a good lawyer should suspect is a disc injury in the client’s neck or back.  A disc is like a shock absorber that is sandwiched between each of the vertebrae in the spine.  When a disc is ruptured, or herniated, it can put pressure on the nerves that go from the spine to the arms or legs, thereby causing the pain and/or numbness that the client is complaining of.  The first thing a lawyer should look for is whether an MRI has been performed on the client to diagnose whether a disc has been injured.  An MRI is a device that takes pictures of the soft-tissue in the body that cannot be seen in an x-ray.  If an MRI has not been performed, the lawyer should find out why and if the treating physician intends on prescribing one (by now you should be asking yourself why it is a lawyer’s job to direct a client’s medical care, and not the doctor’s.  Well, that is a great question and I will discuss that below, as the answer is not a simple one).  If an MRI has been performed, and a disc injury is discovered, a good lawyer will then look to see if the client has been referred to an orthopedic surgeon or a neurosurgeon.  If a client is referred to a specialist or is considering such a referral, it is crucial that they see a doctor who is not only a quality doctor, but one who's reputation among insurance adjusters and defense attorneys is not going to have a negative impact on the client's case.  Unfortunately, there are surgeons who will operate on just about anyone, whether they truly need it or not.  Knowing what doctor you are being referred to before you see that doctor is a must, and if your lawyer is too busy to monitor your care, you could end up in the office of someone who can actually hurt your case, even if they are a quality doctor.

6. Will my lawyer refer me to a doctor?
A. The majority of people who come to me for representation do not have their own physician that they can turn to in the even they suffer a sudden injury. Therefore, most clients ask me, or the lawyer that I refer them to, to refer them to a doctor. The doctors to whom my network of attorneys and I refer our client's, have been carefully screened and are well known by us, and thus we can be confident that our clients will receive the best care available to get them as healthy as possible, as well as provide the best possible witness for their case. Those clients that come to us who already have their own doctor, or were referred to a doctor via the emergency room, a primary care physician (PCP), or a friend, must be able to rely on their attorney to keep a close eye on their care in the event we do not know that doctor. While the majority of these clients do not experience problems, it is imperative that a client understand that people who seem anxious or insistent that you see “their” doctor are not always motivated by their concern for your well-being. The fact is many of these people are motivated by one thing: Money. Yes, there are doctors out there that pay people to refer them to their office in return for money. These people can be tow truck drivers, body shop employees, emergency medical personnel and even "friends." More often than not, these doctors are not the best doctors, and it is a good idea to seek a second opinion if you have already seen a doctor that you were referred to by someone who you do not trust 100 percent. If a doctor, or someone acting on behalf of the doctor, offers you any money or gifts to treat with that doctor, leave that office immediately and inform your lawyer or me right away. Over my 15 years of practicing law, I have seen too many people with indisputable, unquestionably serious injuries, receive little or no compensation, all because their doctor was caught participating in fraudulent activities. Another important consideration is your doctor's willingness to work with your lawyer when trying to resolve any remaining balances owed to the doctor when your case settles. All of the doctors to whom we refer our clients are willing to significantly reduce, or in many occasions entirely waive their balances in the event we do not receive a substantial settlement on your behalf. Unfortunately, many doctors out there will demand payment of their entire bill, even if that means the client will receive little or no money from their settlement. These doctors tell clients they will treat them for free if they have no health insurance, and wait until the client’s case settles for payment. However, for various reasons, settlements or verdicts do not always produce enough money to cover their medical bills and attorney’s fee, and still leave money for the client. In these cases, we expect that the doctor who treated you for free, will share the risk that you and your lawyer accepted when the case was opened, and reduce their fee accordingly. Unfortunately, a doctor is entitled to seek payment in full, and if we do not know that doctor and you were referred to them by a stranger or acquaintance, it is possible that the doctor may be the only one who makes any money as a result of your injury.