Part 3 of 6: In the Trenches: Measuring Law Firm Results & Tendencies
Results and Action over Hype and Promises
In Part 1, we assessed the surface—firm size, communication style, and local roots.
In Part 2, we inspected the foundation—web presence, bar records, and reputation.
Now in Part 3, we go on-site. We measure results and tendencies. Because even the most promising law firm, like a contractor with a glossy portfolio, can fall short when the real work begins.
And when you’ve already accepted a PI case on lien or letter of protection (LOP), you’re no longer in the planning phase. You’re in the trenches. That’s when the real nature of a law firm shows up: not in how they market themselves, but in how they manage the construction site.
Here are the three most important ways to evaluate what they do, and how they do it, so you make better choices and better decisions.
1. MedPay and PIP Handling: First Payout, First Red Flag
Think of medical expense payments (MedPay) and personal injury protection (PIP) like the first construction draw. It’s the upfront money, meant to go straight to the people doing the labor: you.
The results you want? Full MedPay or PIP reimbursement, quickly and with no strings.
The tendency to watch for? Law firms that redirect, delay, or deduct from that money.
If an attorney holds the MedPay until settlement, or worse, deducts attorney’s fees to take a cut from it, that’s like a builder skimming the concrete budget and then asking you to pour the foundation anyway.
Ask them:
- “Do you direct auto insurers to direct MedPay and PIP payments directly to us, or you?”
- “If the auto insurer sends it to you, will you promptly send it over to us if issued on our bill?”
- “Do you take attorney’s fees from those funds?”
Their response shows their wiring. The answer isn’t just about policy, it reveals their values. And that tendency will repeat throughout the patient matters you have involving them.
MedPay and PIP are fast cash opportunities in PI. An auto policy benefit of prompt payment for prompt treatment. These have really nothing to do with the attorney. And everyone, including your patient, benefits when those monies reduce or eliminate your bill early on.
Attorneys who look upon MedPay or PIP as extra money for their pocket, or, hold onto those monies to the end of a case, are anti-medical provider and pro self-interest. Beware.
2. Responsiveness & Transparency: Daily Site Reports or Ghost Job?
Every good construction site runs on communication, from updates, check-ins, and early identification of issues for corrective action or to prevent a bad situation from getting worse.
A good law firm does the same. They respond. They explain. The tell you right away if low policy limits or a liability issue may affect you getting paid.
And when a case resolves and even better when nearing resolution, they are happy to share all the estimated accounting details, such as the settlement amount from all sources, the attorney costs with a line-item breakdown, the attorney fees, all lienholder bills and offers, and the amount the patient is expected to receive if all their lien reductions are agreed to. They show you the numbers, and don’t assert “it’s confidential” in an attempt to hide information from you when asking you to sacrifice a part or your bill and hard work to help their client and their firm. You want law firms who are fully transparent.
The tendencies you want?
- Timely updates
- Timely heads up with liability, low-policy limit, or significant case issues
- A full and detailed accounting
The tendencies to avoid?
- Radio silence on requests for case status updates
- Failure to let you know of case problems, to get their clients free healthcare
- “Confidentiality” assertions when you ask for a full settlement accounting
Transparency isn’t a courtesy, it’s a construction standard. If a firm can’t show you the site plan (aka the full financial picture), you’re not working long term with them, because you’re just a replaceable subcontractor being left in the dark.
3. Track Record: Performance Patterns Tell the Truth
Here’s where we stop guessing and start measuring.
- Which firms settle fast and pay fair?
- Which one’s stall, delay, and slash bills?
- Who files lawsuits early to boost leverage, and who waits until the statute is about to run out?
These are not one-off events. They are behavioral blueprints.
You’re not just reviewing outcomes, you’re spotting tendencies.
- Does this firm respect providers consistently?
- Do they pay promptly every time or just when pushed?
- Do they value your time or use you to pay for poor resolution decisions or results?
Law firm tendencies don’t lie. Past performance is a high-accuracy predictor of future frustration, or satisfaction.
Just remember, you can’t measure what you don’t track. It’s why I developed, long ago, tracking spreads for my coaching program members—covering all the items to follow that matter in a PI case, along with the results, time, and tendencies of law firms to track.
Conclusion to Part 3: Measure as You Build
The best contractors don’t just hope for quality; they measure at every stage.
You should too.
Measure results: how you were paid, how fast, how fair, and how easy (or stressful).
Observe tendencies: how they communicate, negotiate, and behave under pressure.
Because no matter how strong the relationship seemed at the beginning, you’re not building a friendship. You’re building a sustainable, stress-resistant PI practice segment.
You are a healer, but you also need your business hard hat on, your paperwork tight, and your radar sharp.
Stay tuned for more factors in Part 4 of this six-part series.
