Chiropractic License Defense Lawyers in Seattle
A chiropractor builds a practice on hands-on care, referrals, and insurance relationships. Many cases have less to do with a single adjustment than with whether a treatment fell within the legal scope of chiropractic, or whether billing and documentation held up under review. Understanding these matters is the starting point for any defense.
We defend chiropractors whose licenses are under investigation. A free case evaluation is available at (206) 407-3300.
Who Regulates Chiropractors in Washington?
Chiropractors are licensed and disciplined by the Washington State Chiropractic Quality Assurance Commission under chapter 18.25 RCW, with practice rules in chapter 246-808 WAC. Discipline itself follows the statewide Uniform Disciplinary Act process that governs the health professions.
Where Does Chiropractic Scope of Practice End?
Washington law strictly defines what chiropractors are allowed to do. In general, chiropractors may diagnose and treat conditions involving the spine, joints, muscles, and other parts of the musculoskeletal system. They may perform chiropractic adjustments and use diagnostic tools, including x-rays, to evaluate a patient’s condition.
The law also clearly identifies what chiropractors are not allowed to do. They cannot prescribe or dispense medications, perform surgery, deliver babies, use x-rays or other forms of radiation as a treatment, perform colonic irrigation, or perform venipuncture (drawing blood or inserting a needle into a vein). While diagnostic x-rays are permitted, using radiation as a form of therapy is not.
Because these boundaries are set by statute, a chiropractor who provides services outside the authorized scope of practice may face a complaint or disciplinary action. Questions about whether a particular treatment exceeded the legal scope of practice are a common issue in licensing investigations.
What Billing and Conduct Issues Draw Complaints?
Beyond scope, chiropractic discipline frequently involves money and conduct. Charging a clearly excessive or illegal fee is prohibited under WAC 246-808-400, and disputes over insurance billing, especially personal injury and auto claims, and over whether care was medically necessary, are recurring themes. Advertising that overstates results, thin documentation, and boundary or sexual-misconduct allegations arising from close physical contact round out the categories that most often lead to an investigation.
How Can a Complaint Affect a Chiropractic Practice?
A licensing complaint can have consequences that extend far beyond the chiropractor’s license. Even before the Department of Health reaches a decision, an open investigation may disrupt the business side of a practice. Insurance companies may scrutinize claims more closely, personal injury protection (PIP) carriers may audit patient files or seek repayment of previously paid claims, and referral sources may become hesitant to continue sending patients while the matter is pending.
A disciplinary action can create additional challenges. Depending on the circumstances, it may affect participation in insurance networks, influence malpractice insurance premiums or coverage, and become part of the public record for patients, employers, and credentialing organizations to review. For many chiropractors, the financial and reputational impact of a complaint can be as significant as the licensing issue itself.
Because so much can be at stake, it is important to take a Department of Health complaint seriously from the outset. A thoughtful, well-prepared response can help protect not only a professional license but also the practice and reputation built around it.
How Should a Chiropractor Respond to a Commission Complaint?
A careful, well-documented response to the investigation, filed within the deadline in the notice, is essential, and treatment records and billing files should be preserved and organized early, since both are likely to be examined.
If you are a chiropractor facing a complaint, please call our firm at (206) 407-3300 to schedule a free case evaluation with an experienced chiropractor license defense attorney.
