Other Health Care Licenses  >  Physical Therapist License Defense

The experienced license defense attorneys at Ray & Bishop, PLC offer a number of legal services for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants. We defend physical therapists and physical therapist assistants from accusations filed by the Physical Therapy Board of California, appeal the denial of physical therapy licenses, represent physical therapists and physical therapist assistants in Physical Therapy Board investigations, and guide physical therapists and physical therapist assistants through the disclosure of adverse events on physical therapy license renewals and applications.

The Physical Therapy Board of California, a branch of the Department of Consumer Affairs, oversees the licensing, monitoring, regulating, and disciplining of physical therapists and physical therapist assistants. The Department of Consumer Affairs, Division of Investigation investigates alleged criminal and administrative violations of physical therapists and physical therapist assistants, which could potentially lead to criminal or administrative prosecution.

When a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant is faced with allegations of misconduct, the Board of Physical Therapy may decide to investigate into the conduct of the licensee. The attorneys at Ray & Bishop, PLC are experienced in handling such investigations. If you are faced with an investigation from the Board of Physical Therapy, the defense attorneys at Ray & Bishop, PLC can help defend your license through careful preparation and wise counsel. Our attorneys can serve as the middleman between you and the Board’s investigator, and can represent your interests should you have to attend a Board of Physical Therapy interview before a Board of Physical Therapy interviewer.

Once an investigation establishes that unlawful actions were committed by California physical therapists and physical therapist assistants, the results of investigation are forwarded to the California Office of the Attorney General for administrative prosecution. The Attorney General, or A.G., will then file and serve an accusation against the physical therapist or physical therapist assistant in seeking to discipline the licensee. The experienced defense attorneys at Ray & Bishop, PLC defend physical therapy licenses from accusations filed by the Attorney General’s office. If you receive a Statement to Respondent, an Accusation, a Notice of Defense and other documents, you have a license defense case which must be defended at an administrative hearing before the Office of Administrative Hearings. The attorneys at Ray & Bishop, PLC have extensive experience defending physical therapy licenses at administrative proceedings and defending physical therapy applicants who are applying for their physical therapy license but have been denied.
If the Physical Therapy Board of California chooses to impose discipline on its physical therapists or physical therapist assistants, discipline could range from public reproval to license revocation. Common accusations include conviction of crimes substantially related to practice, negligent or incompetent treatment of patients, inadequate supervision of assistants and aids, or insurance billing and Medi-Cal billing fraud. If you receive an accusation, you have just fifteen (15) days to file the notice of defense with the Attorney General. If the notice of defense is not timely filed, the Attorney General can ask the Board of Physical Therapy to discipline the license by default, which could mean revocation. Therefore, it is critical to file the notice of defense on time to avoid default and request a hearing at the Office of Administrative Hearings.

Very often, the defense of a physical therapy license or successful appeal of a denial of a physical therapy license can be achieved without ever having to go to trial. This is done through a stipulated settlement. At Ray & Bishop, PLC, our well-qualified attorneys strive to settle your license defense case for the best possible outcome prior to any potential hearing. However, if the license case cannot reach a satisfactory outcome by settlement, we are prepared to employ our experience, knowledge and expertise in defending your physical therapy license.