< Previousare few situations in life more severe and emo- tional than a threat of deportation and being forced to leave your loved ones behind,” she says. “Each deportation situation is unique, and some involve both immigration and crim- inal courts. Our firm has extensive experience with all types of deportation situations and ag- gressively advocates on behalf of our clients. We take the time to evaluate the situation and help our clients understand the immigration, and possibly criminal, laws that apply.” Sensitive to the unique needs of clients who come to IBF Law, Wright says that she and her staff make special accommodations particu- larly when it comes to any possible language barriers. “We understand that many of our clients speak languages other than English,” she says. “In order to provide the most effective legal representation and communication possible, we have a Spanish interpreter on staff and can provide an interpreter in any other language. We communicate with our clients frequently and keep them updated on the status of their case at every stage of the legal process.” FOCUS ON FAMILY Again, heralding back to the fact that Wright herself came to this country as a small child leaving extended family behind, she remains acutely cognizant of how it feels to venture into a foreign world without the com- fort of loved ones. While she was fortunate to made the move with her parents and siblings, Wright says she still understands and can em- pathize with those who are already living in the U.S. but work towards the day they can bring their family members together again. She’s also very aware of how difficult this pro- cess can be but works tirelessly with her cli- ents to help them achieve this precious goal. “The family-based immigration system is complex, and the rules vary depending on your status and the relationship between you and the person you wish to sponsor,” she ex- plains. “At IBF Law Group, we understand the desire to bring family members to the Unit- ed States and the legal hurdles that must be cleared to make this possible. We work with U.S. citizens, permanent residents and indi- viduals with refugee status to obtain visas for their close family members. As immigrants ourselves, we have extensive knowledge of the immigration process and a strong desire to advocate for our clients and reunite families.” Although IBF Law offers legal representa- tion in a variety of areas besides immigration- related issues, family is still at the heart of this firm. From the careful selection of associates, experts and specialists with whom they work, to the day-to-day interactions among the staff and with their clients, it’s a group who quite unabashedly lead with their hearts. “Success, at least for me, cannot and should not be defined in terms of income or finan- cial gain,” says Wright. “How many lives have I impacted and changed for the better? How have I used my education and training to serve those who are most in need? Ultimately, even though to some cynics it might sound trite, the successful outcome for our clients is our number one priority. We have not only the experience and expertise, but a deep, sincere compassion for everyone seeking our help.” IBF LAW GROUP 20 E Thomas Rd, Suite 2253 Phoenix, AZ 85012 (602) 833-1110 www.ibflaw.com 20 ATTORNEY AT LAW MAGAZINE · PHOENIX· VOL. 12 NO. 5All too often I have gotten a call from an attorney hoping that I could help salvage a case. The most common problem they face is a gap in care. Any extended period without documented treatment cre- ates the impression that there was no need for treatment. The most common problem that I see here is when the patient was in- volved in a crash and a month or so later calls the attorney. A 4 to 6-week gap in care dating back to the motor vehicle collision can, on the surface seem to be nothing short of an up- hill battle. Usually however, this is the least challenging of all gaps. My first question to this distressed attorney is, “Did they go to the ER?” The answer is usually, “yes.” My second question is, “Was there a prescription for pain medication and muscle relaxers.” Again, the answer is usually, “yes.” While this may seem like a gap in care and an insurance adjuster may try to go with that excuse, clearly there is no gap. It is rare for a crash victim to end up in the ER with complaints and not be sent home with a 30-day sup- ply of medication. Usually that comes with instructions to see their family doctor or a specialist. Sometimes with a younger more enlightened emergen- cy department doctor the instruction would include seeing a chiropractor. This patient does not have a gap in care. In fact, they have been very closely following the ER doctors’ in- structions to take medication for 30 days. At five weeks, when they have run out of medication and their pain is no longer suppressed, they need your support. The other situations that are very common in personal-injury cases fall into two categories. First, all those pa- tients who have a life scheduled and do their best to maintain their sched- uled visits to the doctors. This is com- monly seen as work schedules that make it more difficult to get to that chiropractor’s office as often as they would like to or should. This is also seen where they have a long-planned trip, shortly after they have been injured in a crash. These patients are often in a position where such a trip cannot be canceled, or if so, would be done at great expense. In both of these cases where fol- lowing through on passive care in the doctor’s office is too much of a chal- lenge, all that needs to be done is for the doctor to prescribe active care. Ac- tive care is defined as what the patient is doing on their own as compared to passive care that is administered in the doctor’s office. I have seen these cases where the patient had plans to spend a month on the beach. They were given instruc- tions to lay their blanket on the hot sand and lay there for 30 minutes at a time to absorb the heat into their muscles. Heat packs in an office are a common therapy. Heat from the sand on the beach is just as valid in helping to facilitate the healing process. These patients have also advised to get in the water. They do not need to be Olympic swimmers. All they need to do is get into the water and move around. Walking with resistance is good exercise. Balancing oneself in the water with shifting currents from the tides will also provide exercise for just about every muscle group and will do so without gravity or impact. This can also facilitate recovery from con- cussion related problems. All of these are valid active care. The second group of patients with a gap in care are the ones who can be more troubling for a PI case. This is the patient who simply does not fol- low through on the doctors’ schedule or instructions. Any doctor who is fa- miliar with motor vehicle injuries will spend time teaching the patient things they can do at home to facilitate the healing process. When a chiropractor has recom- mended an initial schedule of three times a week the next four weeks and the patient shows up one time a week, they are effectively telling everyone the problem is not that bad. If active therapies have been taught and the doctor documented that the patient is following through, then there is no gap. Then scheduling conflicts will have been explained away. Patient care, be that in a chiroprac- tic office or in a surgical procedure, are an important part of your client’s care. When the patient has been edu- cated on exercises and procedures that can be performed at home and it is docu- mented that they have reported fol- lowing the doctor’s instructions then the gap in care is more of a myth than a reality. BILL GALLAGHER, DC, CMVI | Chiropractor Scottsdale chiropractor, Bill Gallagher has taught personal injury seminars across the US and Europe through the American Academy of Motor Vehicle Injuries. He also offers support to attorneys with Phoenix Medical Legal Ser- vices and the Concussion Testing Center. He can be reached at drbillgallagher@yahoo.com or 480-664-6644. Mythology of Personal Injury: Gap in Care 21Wendi A. Sorensen Appointed Chair of Arizona State Bar Board of Legal Specialization On August 20, Wendi A. Sorensen of Burch & Cracchiolo was appointed by the Arizona Supreme Court to serve as chair of the Arizona State Bar Board of Legal Specialization. Sorensen will serve a two-year term beginning July 1, 2020. AALM: What prompted you to work with the board? WAS: Prior to being named to this board, I was a member of, and then the chair for, the Personal Injury Ad- visory Commission. This is the com- mittee charged with approving certifi- cation and recertification applications for those seeking new or renewed certification as specialists in the area of personal injury and wrongful death law. There are nine areas of certifica- tion currently recognized in the state of Arizona, and this area is the one with the most members. I was deep- ly honored to be “promoted” to the board after serving six years on the commission. AALM: How do you hope to bet- ter serve the legal community as the chair? WAS: There are so many attorney and non-attorney volunteers who give their time to the State Bar for the protection of the public and the bet- terment of the profession. This is my contribution to that larger effort and my hope is to do it fairly and expan- sively, in the hope of appropriately growing the number of legal special- ists in Arizona. AALM: Do you believe the recent rule change allowing legal paraprofes- sionals to practice in a limited capac- ity will affect the Board of Legal Spe- cialization in any way? WAS: I believe the recent rule change makes the Board of Legal Spe- cialization’s work even more impor- tant. The result of the work performed by the board and the commissions in each of the areas of certification is an easily accessible list of true specialists, from which members of the public can make their choices about which attorney to hire to satisfy their legal needs. AALM: Any other news you’d like to share with lawyers about the Board of Legal Specialization. WAS: The Board is developing ways for certified specialists to high- light their accomplishments, particu- larly with approved “badges” that can be appended to their ads, emails, and other communications, all in an effort to inform the public about the level of skill these specialists possess. VIEW View the latest news from lawyers, law firms and associations at attorneyatlawmagazine.com/ talk-of-the-town/ SUBSCRIBE Want to stay-up-to date? Subscribe to the weekly newsletter at attorneyatlawmagazine.com/ subscribe/ SUBMIT Want to share your news? Submit your press release at attorneyatlawmagazine.com/ submit-news/ AWARDS ANNOUNCEMENTS PRESS RELEASES EVENTS PROMOTIONS ACTIVITES HONORS RECOGNITIONS TALK TOWN of the 22 ATTORNEY AT LAW MAGAZINE · PHOENIX· VOL. 12 NO. 5Top 10 - Forbes Best Banks Western Alliance Bank specializes in banking for law firms and settlement administrators. 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