One of the most frustrating moments for an injured person comes when their own doctor believes them, documents their injuries, and recommends treatment BUT the insurance company still says no.
From the client’s perspective, it makes no sense.
Your doctor examined you.
Reviewed your imaging.
Tracked your symptoms.
And put everything in writing.
Yet the insurance company questions it all.
At Hasty Pope Injury Law, our Gainesville Georgia injury lawyers and Canton Georgia accident attorneys see this conflict every day. It is not accidental. It is part of how insurance companies control payouts.
Why Insurance Companies Distrust Treating Doctors
Your treating physician’s job is simple. Diagnose your injury and help you recover.
The insurance company’s job is different. Minimize what they pay.
That difference creates tension.
Insurance companies often claim that treating doctors are biased because they are “advocates” for their patients. They suggest physicians rely too heavily on what patients report. They argue treatment is excessive or unnecessary.
The reality is simpler. Treating doctors document injuries as they see them. Insurance companies challenge those opinions because accepting them costs money.
The Playbook Insurance Companies Use
When an insurance company does not like a doctor’s opinion, they rarely say it outright. Instead, they use familiar tactics.
They argue the injury is pre existing.
They claim imaging does not match symptoms.
They say the treatment is not reasonable or necessary.
They suggest pain complaints are subjective.
In serious cases, they send the injured person to an insurance selected medical exam designed to contradict the treating physician.
None of this is about medical truth. It is about leverage.
A Real World Example
We represented a client whose orthopedic surgeon documented a clear shoulder injury after a crash. The MRI showed damage. Physical therapy failed. Surgery was recommended.
The insurance company refused to accept it.
They claimed the injury was degenerative. They hired a doctor who never treated the client and spent less than ten minutes reviewing the case. That doctor wrote a report saying surgery was unnecessary.
This happens often.
Our job was not to argue feelings. It was to prove medical reality.
Why Treating Doctors Matter More Than Insurance Doctors
Treating physicians see the full picture. They examine the patient over time. They track progress and setbacks. They understand how injuries affect daily life.
Insurance doctors often see the patient once. Sometimes not at all.
Courts and juries understand this distinction. But only when it is explained clearly and supported by experience.
That is where trial lawyers matter.
How Experience Changes the Outcome
Insurance companies know which lawyers understand medicine and which ones do not.
At Hasty Pope, our attorneys have deposed hundreds of orthopedic surgeons, spine specialists, neurologists, and pain management doctors. We understand how injuries present, how imaging works, and how to explain complex medicine in plain language.
When insurers realize we can defend a treating doctor’s opinion in front of a jury, their posture changes.
Medical credibility becomes leverage.
How We Protect Treating Doctors and Our Clients
We do not attack insurance doctors emotionally. We challenge them with facts.
We highlight:
- Length of treatment relationships
- Objective findings like imaging and testing
- Consistency of symptoms over time
- Failed conservative care
- Real world limitations documented by physicians
We also prepare treating doctors properly so their opinions are clear, defensible, and grounded in medicine.
That preparation matters.
Why This Matters for Injured People
When insurance companies discount your doctor, they are not just denying a bill. They are questioning your pain, your recovery, and your integrity.
That is exhausting for injured people.
You start to feel like you are fighting two battles. One with your body and one with the system.
You should not have to prove your injury twice.
The Bottom Line
When your doctor supports you but the insurance company does not, it does not mean your case is weak. It means the case matters.
Insurance companies deny credible medical opinions because doing otherwise costs them money. The solution is not louder arguments. It is preparation, medical knowledge, and experience.
At Hasty Pope, we protect the doctors who treat our clients and the clients who trust those doctors. We know how to defend medical truth and hold insurance companies accountable when they ignore it.
If you are injured and feel like your doctor believes you but the insurance company does not, that disconnect matters. And it is something we deal with every day.