What Is a Letter of Protection?

A Letter of Protection (LOP) is a legal agreement between your personal injury attorney and a medical provider that allows you to receive treatment without paying upfront. Under this arrangement, the medical provider agrees to wait for payment until your personal injury case is resolved, with their bills paid directly from any settlement or verdict. This ensures that injured clients can get necessary medical care without financial barriers delaying treatment.

Letters of Protection are especially important for clients who do not have health insurance or cannot afford medical care on their own. For example, imagine someone injured in a car accident who lacks health insurance. Without an LOP, they might be forced to delay diagnostic testing, physical therapy, or surgery due to cost. With an LOP in place, they can receive treatment immediately, knowing the provider will be paid out of their eventual settlement.

Similarly, if a client has limited funds and cannot pay for ongoing medical care, an LOP ensures they are not left without treatment while their case is pending. For instance, a worker injured in a slip-and-fall accident may require multiple therapy sessions and imaging studies to fully recover. Using an LOP allows them to attend all necessary appointments without paying anything upfront, which can be crucial for both recovery and building a strong personal injury case.

While medical providers take on some risk by agreeing to a Letter of Protection—because payment depends on the outcome of the case—having an experienced attorney involved protects both the client and the provider. Your attorney ensures all medical bills are properly documented and included in your claim, maximizing the potential recovery and keeping your care uninterrupted throughout the legal process.