Air Traffic Control for Client Care Management: What PI Law Firms Can Learn from John Candy’s Summer Rental

Navigating Chaos: How Personal Injury Law Firms Can Master Client Care with Technology

When you think about the practice of personal injury (PI) law, “air traffic control” may not be the first metaphor that
comes to mind. Yet ask any attorney who has juggled multiple clients’ medical care, insurance claims, and court deadlines at once, and they’ll tell you it can feel like trying to land planes at the world’s busiest airport, with no radar and no control tower.

That kind of chaos isn’t just stressful; it can undermine client advocacy and the very outcomes that PI firms work so hard to deliver. Which is why there’s a powerful lesson to be learned from industries that thrive on coordination, clarity, and real-time visibility, like aviation. And, oddly enough, from John Candy’s 1985 comedy Summer Rental.


In the film, Candy plays Jack Chester, an air traffic controller who is clearly burnt out and is sent on a beach vacation after mistaking a stuck fly on his radar screen for a plane. When he finally gets to the beach, instead of relaxing, Jack faces a cascade of family mishaps, local rivalries, and a chaotic boat race he has no idea how to win. The humor works because it’s relatable. When there’s no system, no plan, and no visibility, chaos takes over.


For PI law firms, the antidote to that kind of chaos isn’t comedy. It’s technology. Just as an airport can’t function without air traffic control, PI firms can’t effectively advocate for clients without systems that bring order to complexity. Let’s explore how lessons from both the control tower and Candy’s misadventures can help PI law firms guide clients to better care and outcomes.

The PI Law Firm’s Chaos Problem

Personal injury law firm’s clients rarely come to a firm with a single neat issue. Instead, they bring a complex
web of challenges:

• Medical Care Needs: Appointments with doctors, specialists, therapists, and sometimes long-term rehabilitation.
• Insurance Coordination: Piles of forms, deadlines, and back-and-forth communication with adjusters.
• ‍Case Management: Collecting records, building evidence, managing filings, and preparing for negotiation or trial.
• ‍Client Support: Keeping the injured person informed, reassured, and supported through recovery.

Now multiply that by dozens, or even hundreds, of clients, and it’s clear why many firms end up in a reactive mode, responding to crises instead of managing them proactively.


It’s the Summer Rental problem in a nutshell: Jack Chester heads on vacation, hoping for calm, but instead finds
himself putting out fires, from going to the wrong rental house to burning himself in the sun on the very first day to the general chaos of a family beach trip gone wrong. When everything demands attention at once, it’s impossible to focus on what really matters.

What Air Traffic Control Teaches Us

Air traffic controllers face a challenge similar in scale, but exponentially higher in stakes. At any given moment, hundreds of aircraft are in the sky, each moving at high speed, each with its own path and destination. Controllers must ensure that every plane arrives at its destination safely.


How do they do it? Through three key practices that PI firms can adopt:

1. Real-TIme Visibility

• Controllers have radar screens showing the exact position of every aircraft in their sector.
• For PI firms: technology dashboards for precise follow-ups can show where every client is in their medical journey, which appointments are pending, and what documents are missing.

2. Constant Communication

• Pilots and controllers are in continual dialogue. Updates, adjustments, and instructions flow without interruption.
• For PI firms: a dedicated resource in constant contact with clients focused on their medical journey provides timely and relevant insights into the overall case, including whether appointments align with the medical plan or indicate the client is going off script.

3. Centralized Oversight

• Controllers see not just one plane, but the whole picture. They anticipate conflicts and redirect traffic before problems occur.
• For PI firms: a centralized system brings together medical records, insurance documents, and medical case notes, so attorneys can anticipate challenges before they spiral.

The takeaway? Complex systems require structure. Without it, planes collide, or cases stall.

The PI Firm Antidote: Technology
as the Control Tower

So how does a PI firm build its own version of air traffic control? By embracing technology that centralizes, automates, and illuminates client care.


• Medical Care Coordination Dashboards: A single “radar screen” for attorneys and staff to track case status,
medical progress, and critical deadlines.
• Automated Alerts & Reminders: Just as controllers prompt pilots to adjust course, technology can prompt
clients to attend therapy or remind staff to request medical records.
• Secure Document Sharing: Ensuring sensitive medical data is exchanged safely and efficiently, no
more unsecured email chains.
• Integrated Communication Tools: Text updates, email alerts, and secure client portals keep everyone
aligned, so clients never feel in the dark.


With these tools, firms move from a reactive scramble (Jack Chester trying to captain a sailboat in Summer Rental without knowing how) to proactive guidance, like seasoned controllers calmly guiding planes through turbulence.

Client Perspective: The Confidence of Being “Under Control”

For clients, a PI case is one of the most stressful times of their lives. They’re hurt, overwhelmed, and often financially strained. When firms don’t have a system, clients pick up on it quickly, missed calls, delayed updates, or confusion about treatment only add to their anxiety.


Contrast that with confidence, clients feel when everything is coordinated:

• They get reminders for appointments.
• They see progress updates in real time.
• They know their legal team is one step ahead, not two steps behind.


It’s like the difference between being on a turbulent flight where no one tells you what’s happening, versus hearing the pilot calmly explain: “We’re adjusting altitude, expect smooth air ahead.” One instills panic. The other instills trust.


And in Summer Rental, that’s exactly what Jack lacked, he never inspired confidence because he was always reacting.
PI firms have the chance to flip that script.

Bringing It Back to Summer Rental

John Candy’s Jack Chester may have been a competent air traffic controller, but outside the tower, he was lost without a system. His family vacation unraveled because there was no structure, no plan, and no way to keep competing demands aligned.  He only succeeded in the end with luck, and luck is not a strategy.


PI law firms face the same risk when they rely on sticky notes, phone calls, and ad hoc updates. Without technology serving as the control tower, chaos wins. But with the right systems in place, attorneys can anticipate challenges, streamline client care, and keep every case on course.


Think of it this way: you don’t want your firm running like Jack’s vacation, funny to watch from the outside, but frustrating and exhausting for everyone living it. You want it to run like a well-orchestrated flight path, clear, coordinated, and always moving forward.

Conclusion: Turning Chaos into Coordination

The lesson from both aviation and Summer Rental is clear: complexity without coordination leads to chaos.
But with the right systems, whether it’s radar and radio for planes, or dashboards and reminders for PI firms, that complexity becomes manageable.


Technology is no longer a nice-to-have for personal injury firms; it’s the control tower that ensures your clients get
the care they need, cases progress smoothly, and attorneys can focus on advocacy instead of firefighting.


It was a stroke of luck that saved Jack Chester’s summer vacation, but PI firms don’t need to repeat his mistakes.
With the right tools, every client journey can land safely, and every case can reach its destination with confidence.

About Mike Olson

Mike Olson is the Chief Delivery Officer at Health ‘N Sync, where he leads the strategic direction and full execution of the company’s digital ecosystem. Focused on optimizing the platforms used by Medical Care Coordinators, Mike plays a critical role in enabling smooth, effective communication between law firms and healthcare providers through intuitive and high-performing digital tools.

With a master’s degree in Psychology, specializing in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience and Research, Mike brings a unique perspective to user experience and product design. His understanding of human behavior, decision-making, and cognitive function informs how digital tools are built to support real people doing complex work under pressure.

He has a proven track record of delivering innovative, scalable technology solutions in startup environments—blending deep technical knowledge with a people-centered approach. Mike’s leadership is grounded in collaboration, curiosity, and a passion for continuous improvement, ensuring that Health ‘N Sync remains at the forefront of healthcare and legal tech innovation.

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