Personal injury
AI accounting for personal injury firms
Liens and costs on the matter from intake, a settlement statement built from the ledger, and every disbursement approved and recorded.
- Read-only to startBank and case systems connect read-only; write-back is a switch the firm turns on.
- Rules for 50 states and DCEach account is checked against its own state bar's trust accounting rules.
- A person approves moneyEvery disbursement carries a named approver and signatory.
- SOC 2 audit in progressSecurity overview and trust center available on request.
In short
suss. is AI accounting software for personal injury law firms. It tracks every lien and advanced case cost against the matter from intake, builds the settlement statement from the matter's own ledger when the check arrives, and holds disputed lien amounts in trust until they resolve. The firm's IOLTA and operating accounts are reconciled every day, and each disbursement is approved by a named attorney and recorded in a close record a state bar reviewer can read. It connects read-only to the firm's bank and to Clio, MyCase, Filevine or CasePeer.
Where PI settlements stall, and what changes
The Medicare figure on the statement is the final one.
A conditional payment letter is not what Medicare is owed; the final demand is, after the reduction for fees and costs. suss. keeps both against the matter, flags when a final figure is still outstanding, and carries the final demand onto the statement so the client's net is right the first time.
Every lien is on the matter before the case settles.
Hospital and provider liens, Medicaid, ERISA and private health plan reimbursement claims, and letters of protection are logged against the matter as they arrive, with the lienholder, the amount claimed and its status. At settlement there is nothing to discover, only figures to confirm.
Disputed amounts stay in trust, visibly.
When a lienholder and the client disagree, the disputed amount stays in trust on the client's ledger, marked as held, while the undisputed portion is paid. The ledger shows what is held, for whom, and since when, so nothing sits forgotten in the account.
Worked example
One settlement, start to finish
Reyes v. Pacific Freight settles. The wire lands in the IOLTA and suss. matches it to the matter, then builds the statement from what is already on the ledger.
The attorney approves the statement; a named signatory approves the disbursements on their own device. The Medicare payment, the fee transfer to operating and the client's check are each recorded against the matter with who approved them.
How a PI firm uses suss.
- Every morning
Each morning the case manager sees what needs a person: a lien that came in overnight with a new amount, a matter nearing settlement with no final Medicare figure yet, a cost advance that needs a decision. The bank matching, ledger updates and the daily three-way reconciliation already happened and are recorded.
- When money moves
At settlement, the attorney opens the statement built from the matter ledger: gross recovery, fee, each cost advanced, each lien by lienholder, any amount held for a dispute, and the client's net. Approving it prepares the disbursements; signing them is a separate step for a named signatory.
- When someone asks
When a lien is resolved months later, the held amount is released from the client's ledger to whoever it belongs to, and the record shows when, how much, and who approved it.
What you keep
Works alongside the systems you run today
Your case management system, your bank, your lien resolution vendor if you use one, your approvals and your accountant. suss. works alongside all of them.
- Clio
- MyCase
- Filevine
- CasePeer
- QuickBooks
- Bank feeds
Guides for personal injury firms
All resources- Medicare conditional payments
What a Medicare conditional payment letter means for your settlement disbursement
Conditional payment letter versus final demand, how Medicare reduces its claim for fees and costs, the 60-day clock, and what to hold in trust.
Read the guide - Ten trust accounting mistakes
Ten trust accounting mistakes that lead to bar audits and discipline
The routine errors behind most trust account findings, what each one looks like on the books, and the control that prevents it.
Read the guide - Three-way reconciliation
How to do a three-way trust account reconciliation
The three balances, the steps, how often your state requires it, and what to do when the numbers do not agree.
Read the guide
Questions firms ask
Something not covered here? Ask us directly.
Can a PI firm pay the client before Medicare's final demand arrives?
Firms generally should not disburse the client's share against a conditional payment letter, because Medicare's final demand can differ from it and the firm can be exposed if Medicare is not repaid. A common practice is to hold the conditional amount in trust until the final demand is issued. suss. flags matters where the final figure is still outstanding and keeps the held amount visible on the client's ledger.
What happens to a lien amount the client disputes?
Under ABA Model Rule 1.15(e) and the state rules based on it, funds in which two or more persons claim an interest stay separate, in trust, until the dispute is resolved, and the undisputed portion is distributed promptly. suss. marks the disputed amount as held on the client's ledger and releases it when the firm records the resolution.
How does suss. handle Medicare liens?
suss. keeps the conditional payment amounts, the final demand and the correspondence against the matter, so the figure on the settlement statement is current. Working the lien with Medicare, including disputes and appeals, remains the firm's or its lien vendor's work; suss. keeps the record.
Does suss. move money?
Not today. suss. connects to bank accounts read-only. It prepares and records disbursements, and a named person at the firm approves and executes them. Write-back is a switch the firm turns on, behind the same approval gate.
Does suss. replace our case management system?
No. It reads matters, contacts and costs from Clio, MyCase, Filevine or CasePeer and keeps the accounting in sync with them.
Is suss. compliant with our state bar's trust accounting rules?
suss. runs reconciliation and record-keeping checks mapped to the trust accounting rules of the states you select, including three-way reconciliation and client ledger maintenance, and keeps the records those checks produce. The firm remains responsible for its compliance; suss. makes the record. See the state rules on our Resources page.
How long does setup take?
Connecting the bank and case management system takes a day. suss. then runs in shadow mode against your existing process until you're satisfied it ties, typically one month-end.
See it on your own accounts.
We connect read-only, run alongside your current process, and show you the record before you change anything.
Schedule a demo