Florida Workers’ Comp Lawyer Answers: Surgery or Settlement?
Transcript
Summary
The video addresses clients who have been recommended for surgery, clarifying that no one is forced to undergo surgery if they do not want to. Lawyers at the firm discuss the doctor’s recommendations with the client to determine if they genuinely wish to proceed with the operation. For those who decline surgery, the firm may negotiate a settlement instead, often leveraging the recommended surgery to increase the settlement amount. Even clients who intend to have surgery may choose to settle to secure more money, opting to fund their treatment through other means such as health insurance or Medicare. Ultimately, the firm assists clients in evaluating these options to create a specific game plan for their situation.
FAQs
Q: Do I need to have surgery even if I don’t want it?
A: Nobody’s going to force anyone to have surgery if they don’t want it. Just because you don’t want surgery, you don’t have to have it.
Q: What happens if I don’t want surgery?
A: We usually have a conversation about what the doctor is recommending, and why, to decide whether the person really wants to have the surgery. If clients don’t want surgery, let’s talk about a settlement and negotiate one instead. Sometimes we’ll use that surgery to get our clients more money.
Q: Why might I settle my case even if I want surgery?
A: Sometimes, people who want surgery still want to settle their case for more money because they might have another way to get the treatment.
Q: What other ways can I use to get treatment?
A: Maybe you are going to use health insurance, perhaps Medicare, or some other means to get the treatment.
Q: What should I do if I am recommended for surgery and am not sure what to do?
A: Feel free to give our office a call, and we’ll be happy to discuss all your options. We go over all those options with our clients to see what is best for them and basically come up with a game plan of how to handle every situation.
Q: Can a client be forced to skip surgery if they actually want it?
A: No. No one is going to force a client not to have surgery if they want to proceed with it.
Q: What is discussed with the doctor before a client decides on surgery?
A: The client discusses the doctor’s recommendation and the reasons for it before deciding whether they genuinely want to proceed with surgery.
Q: Is the decision about surgery entirely up to the client?
A: Yes. The client is not forced into surgery or forced to avoid surgery. Either way, the decision ultimately belongs to the client.
Q: What does the firm do once it understands whether a client wants surgery or not?
A: The firm discusses all of the client’s options with them and works through the situation based on what the client wants.
Q: Who can a client contact if they’re unsure whether to move forward with surgery?
A: A client can call the firm’s office, and the attorneys will discuss all of the available options with them.
Transcription of the Video
“Some of our clients get treatment and ultimately get recommended for surgery, and they may ask do I need to have the surgery even if I don’t want it. Um, nobody’s going to force anyone to have surgery if they don’t want it. We usually have a conversation about what the doctor is recommending and why, and then we discuss whether the person really wants to have the surgery. But nobody is going to force anyone not to have surgery if they don’t want to. Often, our clients don’t want surgery, so we might discuss a settlement. We’ll negotiate a settlement instead of surgery, and sometimes we’ll use that surgery to get our clients more money. So just because you don’t want surgery, you don’t have to have it. And sometimes people who want surgery still might want to settle their case for more money because they might have another way to get the treatment, maybe they’re going to use health insurance, maybe they’re going to use Medicare, maybe they’re going to use some other means to get the treatment. So we go over all those options with our clients to determine what is best for them and, basically, come up with a game plan for handling every situation. So if you’re being recommended for surgery and you’re not sure what you want to do, feel free to give our office a call, and we’ll be happy to discuss all your options with you”.
