How to Get Medical Records for Your Personal Injury Case
After an injury, always seek medical help immediately. This advice holds true for situations where your injury was caused by someone else’s negligence. Documentation by unbiased, third-party medical professionals will become a critical piece of your case – and may affect your final settlement.
When it comes to making a strong personal injury case, a good offense involves an accurate, thorough set of your relevant medical records. Medical records help you distinguish this injury from any pre-existing conditions and prove your case.
After your injury, it’s wise to work with an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible. They will make the process less stressful by helping you gather additional medical records and fighting for your case so that you can live your life the way it was before the accident.
Start Early Collecting Your Medical Records
Immediately after your accident, save every document (or a copy) related to your medical treatment – visit summaries, bills, prescriptions, and even taxi receipts to the doctor’s office.
Create Your List of Medical Information
List the medical professionals and institutions involved in the diagnosis and treatment of your injury, as well as those involved with any relevant pre-existing conditions.
Your list should include the names of each medical professional and treatment facility, addresses, phone numbers, your patient account numbers, dates, complaints, treatments, tests, medications and outcomes of the treatments.
Contact Each Medical Professional to Request Additional Records
Review your list with your personal injury attorney. They will help you retrieve any additional medical records or at least advise you on how to get medical records for your case. In most cases, you should request all of your records, unless your attorney has advised you to restrict records (to a limited time period, for example).
Finally, Check For Thoroughness & Accuracy
Review your records carefully to ensure they are accurate and complete. Promptly request any missing records so they don’t hold up your case. With your set of medical records, you and your personal injury attorney have a strong offense to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve.
We hope this post was helpful in giving you an idea of how to get medical records for use in your legal case.
The Macon personal injury attorneys at Buzzell, Welsh & Hill are experts at pursuing all available forms of compensation, including payment for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Schedule a free consultation today by contacting us online or calling (478) 217-2072.
