The legal device is confusing and often thwarts a chiropractor's right to collect on a personal injury lien. Welcome to the interpleader. Many states permit chiropractors to enforce their liens if an attorney signs a lien or letter of protection. Hundreds of attorneys are disciplined and many lose their licenses as a result of failing to honor a lien. Attorneys are disbarred when stashing the doctor's money and pocketing it themselves from their trust account.
Most bar associations hold an attorney to a higher duty when handling a client trust account.
Attorneys are considered a fiduciary. A fiduciary cannot use the trust account for his or her own personal purposes. When lawyers receive a personal injury check, he or she has an obligation to treat all monies as an executor would do in a probate action. Attorneys can get into a lot of trouble when they take other people's money, including doctor's fees. In many states, not paying chiropractors in PI cases is profitable or just plain good sport.