Tom McCutcheon – Attorney at Law
Many of my family members are physicians and as a rule doctors make great sacrifices for their family by working long hours away from their families. Doctors as a general rule feel quite put upon, underpaid and overworked, just like everybody else.
With that being said, do not pay to go to a doctor that doesn’t believe you. Some doctors just don’t want to be involved in litigation. They are afraid of being questioned about their medical treatment or whether they have an opinion about what caused an injury.
I think that doctors who are not used to being around lawyers are nervous about testifying. They don’t realize that no one is going to confront them or tell them they are wrong. When it comes to orthopedic surgeons (bone doctors) or neurosurgeons (spine/brain) these doctors testify all the time. They are so accustomed to giving testimony that it’s a very friendly and enjoyable experience for everyone. I would think that a doctor earning a $1,000.00 for an hour’s worth of talking doesn’t mind talking about what they did and their opinion as to what caused the injury.
Any person who takes the time to think about it will know that the doctor didn’t see the accident and can only have an opinion as to whether or not the injury probably was or was not caused by the accident that the injured person told the doctor about as part of the history of the chief complaint.
Doctors get it wrong sometimes. I had a dentist testify that there was plaque on a stub of a broken tooth and that he didn’t think the tooth was broken in the accident. He changed his opinion when I showed him the x-ray of the tooth in the stomach from that same day.
We recently had a doctor “V” send us a letter claiming that maybe their patient was exaggerating their injury. I think maybe that doctor should be fired if he gave treatment for someone he didn’t believe. If your doctor doesn’t believe you, call us and we’ll be happy to make the recommendation for a good treating physician.
Buckle up and drive safely.
McCutcheon & Hamner, P.C.
2210 Helton Drive
Florence, Alabama 35630
Telephone: 256-764-0112
Facsimile: 256-349-2529
