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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How does AMFS obtain and screen its experts?
Q: Does AMFS work with both plaintiff and defense attorneys?
Q: How much do your Experts charge?
Q: Do AMFS experts bill for travel time?
Q: How does the AMFS billing arrangement for expert services work?
Q: Why does AMFS request an initial retainer?
Q: How quickly can I get a CV?
Q: What is AMFS's turn around time for producing opinions?
Q: Will AMFS send me several CVs from which to choose my expert?
Q: Will I be able to work directly with my experts?
Q: Will my expert be available to testify at trial?
Q: Can AMFS screen cases for merit before recommending
experts?
Q: What is a "Free Phone Consultation With An In-House Physician?"
Q: Does AMFS accept credit cards?
Q: How does AMFS obtain and screen its experts?
A: AMFS is connected to the prestigious American Medical Association and our experts come directly from its membership. All applicants submit CVs and proceed through a credentialing process which includes applications, questionnaires, background and reference checks and telephone interviews. Roughly one out of three applicants meet AMFS's rigid criteria for experts. All accepted specialists are then classified according to specialty, subspecialty, subspecialty interests and the nature of their practice: academic, teaching, research, clinical practice and then environment: medical school, residency-based hospital, community hospital and so on. All AMFS experts are under agreement to review and testify for both plaintiff and defendant, calling the cases objectively as they see it. Experts generally receive up to four cases per year and are expected to maintain an ongoing active medical practice and their board certification. AMFS presently has more than 6,500 experts nationwide in all medical specialties.
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Q: Does AMFS work with both plaintiff and defense attorneys?
A: Yes. Both plaintiff and defense counsel utilize our services in almost equal proportions.
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Q: How much do your Experts charge?
A:
Hourly review rates for our physicians range from $400 to
$500. Hourly rates for nurses, physical therapists, life care
planners, medical illustrators, Ph.D.s, hospital administrators,
nursing home administrators etc. range from $200 to $500 per
hour depending on specialty. Testimony is billed on an hourly,
half day or full day basis depending on the location of the
testimony to be provided. Your expert services proposal will
spell out these fees. AMFS experts will always provide you
with the cost of each service performed before you incur the
charge so that you can first approve these services and remain
in control of your expert's billable hours. Your AMFS case
manager works with your expert to ensure that billing is reasonable
and appropriate to the scope of services requested.
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Q: Do AMFS experts bill for travel time?
A: No. Unlike most medical experts or medical expert services, AMFS experts do not bill "portal to portal" travel time. Our medical experts charge a flat rate for trial testimony and a flat rate for depositions conducted outside of the medical expert's office. |
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Q: How does the AMFS billing arrangement for expert services work?
A:
An initial deposit of $1,500 per expert is required at the
start of each case. The $1,500 deposit consists of a one time,
$500 AMFS administrative fee while the remaining $1,000 is
placed in a retainer account for your expert to bill against
at the predetermined hourly rate. If AMFS does not provide
you with an expert you deem suitable, AMFS will promptly refund
your entire deposit. In our experience, most files are reviewed
within the initial $1,500 expert deposit, however, in cases
where the records are voluminous, complex or hard to read
more time may be necessary for the medical expert to review
your case. You will have the opportunity to approve these
additional fees in advance of service. |
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Q: Why does AMFS request an initial retainer?
A: The in-house physicians and attorneys at AMFS spend a great deal of time presenting your case to potential experts in order to provide you with the best possible medical expert specifically matched to your case requirements. To ensure that our physicians' time is used efficiently, AMFS requires payment of an initial retainer as a good faith deposit on the part of the attorney. AMFS recognizes that in some cases, notably defense cases, a CV is required before obtaining authorization from the insurance carrier to move forward. In that situation and select others, AMFS will provide redacted CVs upon the attorney's request.
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Q: How much of my initial retainer is refunded if AMFS does not provide me with an acceptable expert?
A: The entire $1500 retainer is refunded to you if AMFS is unable to provide you with an acceptable expert. The attorney is the sole judge of an expert's acceptability. |
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Q: How quickly can I get a CV?
A: Normally, AMFS will have a CV on your desk the same day we receive a signed Expert Services Agreement and the initial retainer. If time is of the essence, AMFS can usually provide a CV within hours. |
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Q: What is AMFS's turn around time for producing opinions?
A: AMFS's standard turn around time for medical record reviews is two weeks from receipt of the medical records and the initial deposit or fee. If an attorney needs a review performed faster, either by a testifying physician or an in-house review, the review can be performed on an expedited basis for an additional, reasonable fee, often on as little as 24 hours notice. |
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Q: Will AMFS send me several CVs from which to choose my expert?
A:
One of the greatest values offered by AMFS is our expert selection
process. Unlike other "resume services," all AMFS
experts are carefully prescreened by our credentialing committee
of staff physicians and attorneys. AMFS in-house physicians
present your case to a number of potential experts, not revealing
whether we represent the plaintiff or defense counsel. This
blind doctor to doctor presentation allows us to select the
expert best suited to your case requirements and ensures your
expert's objectivity. AMFS will then provide the CV of the
medical expert our physicians feel will be best suited to
your case. The decision to accept the expert or request alternative
CVs is always up to you. |
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Q: Will I be able to work directly with my experts?
A: Yes. In fact, you will find it easier to work with AMFS experts than with other experts with whom you may have worked. AMFS experts are required to be cooperative and reasonably available to attorney clients. Furthermore, by contacting your dedicated AMFS case manager, you can schedule meetings, phone calls, independent medical exams, depositions or trials without the hassle of trying to track down the expert on your own. |
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Q: Will my expert be available to testify at trial?
A: Yes. Every AMFS expert is bound by contract to testify in support of their opinion all the way through trial if requested, barring unforeseen circumstances. Retaining attorneys are third party beneficiaries of this contract. |
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Q:
Can AMFS screen cases for merit before recommending experts?
A:
Yes. This is one of the features that distinguishes AMFS from
other companies that simply refer experts. We call this our
Tier One service and it is appropriate when you want a low
cost alternative to an expert review to help you decide whether
or not you will take the case. For a flat fee of $750, regardless
of the volume of records or case complexity, AMFS's in-house
physician staff, consisting of more than seventy multidisciplinary
specialists, will collaborate to thoroughly review your case
and provide you with an oral opinion detailing its strengths
and weaknesses. If you then want to proceed, AMFS can arrange
for testifying experts or, for an additional fee, provide
you with a written report. |
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Q: What is a "Free Phone Consultation With An In-House Physician?"
A: AMFS provides our clients access to their in-house physicians during working hours at no charge in order to assist them in clarifying medical issues and deciding which medical specialties would be most appropriate to advise on a case. |
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Q: Can AMFS provide experts in medically related fields such as nursing, dentistry, life care planning, economic valuations, independent medical exams, DNA and lab analysis...etc?
A: Yes. AMFS can provide consultants at reasonable rates for any of these services. |
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Q: Does AMFS accept credit cards?
A:
Yes. AMFS accepts MasterCard, Visa and American Express. There
is a 3% bank processing fee for all credit card transactions. |
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