Pre-litigation Case Manager
After the retainer is signed, the intake specialist will stop his relationship with the client and the case will be handed to a pre-litigation case manager. A case manager will act as a liaison between the lawyer, the medical providers, the insurance company and the clients. Also, they will be responsible for guiding the client’s medical treatment, by making sure there are no treatment gaps and that the client is not exceeding the policy limits.
Once the client has reached his maximum medical improvement, the case manager will have to submit a demand to the insurance company under the supervision of the attorney. When the demand is accepted and the insurance company agrees on the amount set forth, a check will then be mailed to the firm, and the case manager will instruct the client about the release, and the closing documents.
The workload of a pre-litigation case manager will depend on the number of cases that the firm has. However, during an 8-hours shift, a case manager will have to call his clients to give them updates, schedule medical appointments, prepare demand packages, call the adjuster to negotiate a case, etc. A small firm with one hundred active cases can have about three to four pre-litigation case managers.
Desired skills and experience
Communicative and well-spoken
Ability to guide the client’s medical treatment
Ability to maintain a high degree of discretion in dealing with confidential information
Experience with preparing liability correspondence and demand letters
Proactively address liability issues, and UIM demand letters
Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
Importance of the role
The case manager’s responsibility is to have a good relationship with the client, as they will often be the ones having the most contact. Besides, medical treatment is a crucial part of a personal injury case, that is why a good case manager will guide the client to obtain not only physical healing, but to strengthen any future claim and, consequently, get the victim’s financial recoveries.