LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Legal Newsline) - Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel filed a lawsuit on Monday against a Pulaski County man, the businesses he owns and his employees for allegedly engaging in deceptive marketing practices for chiropractic services.
McDaniel filed the lawsuit against Roger Pleasant; his companies, Network Collision Group LLC, Physician First Marketing Group LLC, Accident Claim Service LLC, PSG and Investigation LLC, and Information and Discovery Inc.; and his employees, Brian Hinton, James Hinton and Rogerick Pleasant. The lawsuit alleges the defendants used deception and harassing tactics to convince automobile accident victims to visit certain chiropractors.
Pleasant and his employees are allegedly chiropractic runners, individuals who collect consumer information from accident reports and solicit business on behalf of the chiropractors who pay them if the consumer seeks treatment. The defendants allegedly lied to consumers, repeatedly called consumers and showed up at the consumers' home or workplace to coerce the consumers into seeking chiropractic services.
"These chiropractic runners use many deceptive tactics in their attempts to force a consumer to seek chiropractic treatment," McDaniel said. "They may pose (as) insurance agents or claims adjusters and may call at all hours of the day or night. But it is clear in this instance that the health or well-being of a consumer does not matter to them. All that matters is the kickback they will receive from a chiropractor who is involved in the scheme."
McDaniel alleged the defendants violated the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. The lawsuit seeks civil penalties, an injunction ordering the defendants to stop deceptive actions going forward and attorney fees.
Ark. AG sues chiropractic runners
