IRC Blog
Functional Capacity Evaluations confirm the diagnosis and quantify injury severity
In today’s ever-evolving personal injury world, insurance companies are also changing the way they relate diagnoses to an injury as well as how they equate those diagnoses to an impairment. What does this look like? Well, when someone gets injured in a car accident,...
Expert Reports are only as VALID as the expert writing them
When someone sustains an injury from a car accident and is seeking an attorney for representation, they will typically go through some degree of a screening process to determine what law firm or attorney is right for them and their case. This process may include...
The biggest mistake a life care planner can make that is death to their report
Throughout my career, I have reviewed many life care plans, medical cost projections, and future needs assessments. The conclusion that I have come to is that the majority of them do not have up-to-date future medical recommendations which lowers the validity of the...
The “RIGHT” life care planner can make or break your personal injury case
Have you ever faced the unfortunate situation where your “trusted” life care planner constructs a future needs report for your client only for you to realize that their report was not tailored toward the nuances of a personal injury case? This can be devastating to...
Understanding Complex Cases
If you’re in the personal injury law world, you’re probably well aware of the many complexities a personal injury case can present. When preparing these cases for an insurance company to evaluate, it’s common to be thrown a curveball or two along the way. I often hear...
Do you fully understand the intricacies of your client’s case?
I’m sure every attorney reading this has experienced a tough case. Perhaps one that has gone sideways, had poor medical management, questionable liability, or was a confusing poly-trauma case that was difficult to understand. No personal injury case, client,...
Are positive imaging results alone enough to get the settlement you need?
Previously, when a lumbar MRI came back positive for a bulging disc or a flexion / extension x-ray in the cervical spine showed some degree of instability, a policy limit settlement was not impossible to achieve. After all, those structural problems are deemed...
Dos and don’ts for creating a team of forensic experts for personal injury cases
Today, more than ever, building a great team of experts is paramount to successfully obtaining a fair settlement. The old school mentality of going it alone is no longer an adequate course of action due to the fast-paced nature and evolution of how personal injury...
How to WIN the hearts of a jury
I often have attorneys call and ask, “How do we help the jury fully understand the extent of our client’s injuries and how their impairments affect their life?” My answer is always the same, “They won’t understand until there is a doctor on the stand that can...
When do you need a strong rebuttal report?
In personal injury cases, one of the hardest things to prove to opposing counsel or the insurance company is how your client’s injuries affect their daily life – more specifically their ability to perform work-related tasks, activities of daily living, or leisure...
Need to respond to and counter a low personal injury settlement offer?
Insurance adjusters are well trained in knowing how to give low-ball settlement offers after a demand package has been presented to them. Typically, the initial settlement offer is merely based on the adjuster’s ceiling or the predetermined amount they are authorized...
How is Permanent Impairment Derived?
Permanent injury or impairment can be a major factor in any personal injury or workers compensation case. Doctors base permanent impairment ratings on three different criteria. These are as follows: Diagnosis: The proper and accurate diagnosis is crucial in defining...