What is a letter of protection (LOP) at a chiropractic clinic?
By Dr. Jeremiah Carlson, chiropractic physician · Jacksonville, FL · Reviewed Nov 2026
How an LOP works
If you have a personal-injury case, your attorney may send our clinic a letter of protection. That letter tells us we can start or continue medically necessary care now, and that we will be paid from the settlement, judgment, or other recovery in the case, when it comes in.
- Care can start now. You don’t have to wait until the case ends to get examined and treated.
- The bill is paid from the settlement or award, when funds are available, according to the letter and your attorney’s disbursement.
- You stay responsible if the case doesn’t pay out. An LOP is not a write-off and not a guarantee. If there is no recovery, or it isn’t enough to cover the bill, the remaining balance is yours.
Health insurance still helps
When your PIP benefits run out, we bill your health insurance, which keeps your out-of-pocket cost down. Using health insurance (and PIP, when it applies) can reduce what is left to be paid from a settlement. Coverage depends on your plan; call or text 904-619-2703 and we’ll verify before your visit. We don’t promise that any plan or case will cover a specific amount.
What an LOP is not
- It is not legal advice, and it is not a promise about the outcome of your case.
- You do not have to have an attorney to get care here. If you already have one, we’ll coordinate records with their office. We work with all attorneys. If you don’t have an attorney, that’s fine too.
- We don’t refer patients to lawyers in exchange for anything, and we don’t accept referrals in exchange for payment.
Imaging, referrals, and your care team
We have good working relationships with orthopedic and neurology groups in Jacksonville and refer when appropriate. An MRI is often an important step in identifying soft-tissue injury after a crash — discs, ligaments, and other tissues that an X-ray does not show. We don’t do imaging in our office. We coordinate it and work with all MRI facilities in Jacksonville. We don’t promise a particular finding or outcome.
We work with everyone involved in the case: patients, insurers, attorneys, and other providers. We work with all attorneys. Do I need an MRI after a car accident?
This page is general information, not a contract and not legal advice. Every case and every letter is different. For questions about your case, talk with a licensed Florida attorney.
More questions
Do I need an attorney to use a letter of protection?
Usually an LOP is arranged through an attorney who is already handling your case. You don’t need an attorney to be seen at our clinic, and we can bill PIP and most major health insurance plans without one.
Am I still responsible if my case doesn’t settle?
Yes. If the case does not pay out, or does not pay enough to cover the bill, you remain responsible for the balance.
Can I use health insurance and an LOP?
Often yes. We bill most major health insurance plans, when your PIP benefits run out, we bill your health insurance, which keeps your out-of-pocket cost down. Any remaining balance may be handled under the LOP. We’ll review this with you.
Do you take my insurance?
We bill most major health insurance plans. When your PIP benefits run out, we bill your health insurance, which keeps your out-of-pocket cost down. Call or text 904-619-2703 to verify.
Does an LOP mean my care is free?
No. It means payment is delayed until a recovery in the case, not that the bill is forgiven.
Were you in a crash in Jacksonville?
Take the 60-second check to see where you are on the 14-day clock and what to do next, or call our front desk.