My buddy, Los Angeles, California attorney Michael Ehline (Click Here.), out in California was sharing some stuff with me about how fun it is to ride bikes out in California. We got to talking and he warned me about how defense firms are slamming cases when a chiropractor does the treatment of the injuries. Here is what he says. If you have filed a personal injury claim, it would be a good idea to reconsider making any appointments with a chiropractor. This is because juries and insurance companies alike view a excessive care that is provided by alternative health care specialists like naprapaths, acupuncturists, and chiropractors with disdain.

Obviously Treatment is Good But Over-treatment is Not

While a certain amount of care is generally acceptable, treatment or a diagnosis that is given by these types of doctors does not in any way substantiate evidence that compensation should be awarded for injuries received. As a matter of fact, when a large amount of chiropractic care is received or it is the only type of care received, the defense will use this to prove that no major injuries occurred. When a personal injury claim has been filed, it is essential that any ‘real’ injuries be treated and diagnosed by ‘real’ doctors that have a license to prescribe medications and perform surgical procedures. A chiropractor is not a licensed to work as a medical doctor and they do not undergo extensive medical study and training. When your in a bike accident, these are important things to know.

What is a Chiropractor?

A chiropractor is a person that has obtained a license to provide treatment for ailments, without having the ability to prescribe medication or perform surgery. Insurance adjusters are well aware that a chiropractor is not a medical physician. They are also aware that several chiropractors have aggressively tried to form relationships with many personal injury lawyers. This has in turn caused most adjusters to feel extremely pessimistic about their treatment.

Padding of Medical Bills

Another fact that insurance companies are aware of is the attempts made by lots of lawyers and chiropractors to pad the medical bills incurred in order to make minor injuries look much more severe than they actually are. The method that many chiropractors use for rendering patients a diagnosis tends to be looked upon as more subjective and less rigorous than that of a licensed physician. For this reason, the diagnosis provided by a chiropractor is not considered to be sound support to be used for injuries or their cause.

None of this information is to suggest that a chiropractor or other type of specialist that provides alternative medicine is bad, as a majority of them stand behind the treatment they provide. These specialists may in fact provide many benefits to the patients they treat. Some people often do feel better through the manipulation chiropractors provide.

There is no problem for a person that has filed a personal injury claim to undergo a reasonable amount of chiropractic care or other alternative care while they are also receiving care from a medical doctor. They should however keep in mind that a successful outcome from a jury or settlement is much harder (and sometimes impossible) to obtain when an excessive amount of chiropractic care is received. At least one California case holds that if there is a disc injury and the chiropractor did back cracking without first having done an MRI, for example to see it, the insurance company for the defense can argue that the back injury was caused or made worse by the chiropractor, which means your attorney would need to sue him or her for malpractice.

The professionals at Ehline Law Firm PC, where Mike works, are not in the practice of telling clients what they would like to hear; instead they provide information that will help to ensure success for personal injury cases. It is important for clients to be aware of the negative impact that is often caused from alternative care like chiropractic care. He is a friend of mine and I am really glad he shared this with my guests. If you were hurt out in CA, call him at 213.596.9642.