Injuries in car accident claims may be severe, even life-altering. Proving the extent of your injuries, pain, and damages often requires medical records.
Most people are probably aware that they have medical records, but they might not know how to get them or where they even are. You should have medical records for every visit to a doctor or hospital in your lifetime, including after a car accident. These records are required to be very thorough and may include details about emergency room visits, surgeries, medicine, therapies, and any other treatment you received. Even though people have legal rights to access their medical history and records, doing so can be challenging. A lawyer can help you submit a formal request for records from the appropriate authority, usually the hospital. Your medical records are important in a car accident case because they may establish the extent and severity of your injuries and damages. As such, it is important to work on getting copies as soon as possible.
Call Howe Law at (844) 876-4357 and talk to our Birmingham, AL car accident lawyers about scheduling a free review of your claims and medical details.
Where Do Medical Records for Birmingham, AL Car Accident Claims Come From?
Your medical records are compiled by doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals in charge of your care. Medical records are very thorough and often contain every little detail from someone’s visit to the hospital. After an auto accident, we need these records to prove how bad your injuries are so you can get the fair compensation you deserve.
Medical records are kept for all medical treatments and procedures. As such, there might be various records in your file related to the numerous treatments you needed after your car accident. After a collision, injured drivers are usually taken to an emergency room. Even if their injuries are not serious, drivers usually err on the side of caution and go to the ER. All records of any treatment you received in the hospital ER may be important to your claims.
If you received any subsequent treatment, our Alamaba car accident attorneys also need those medical records. For example, your doctors may have determined that you needed surgical intervention for your injuries. Some patients receive emergency surgery at the ER, but others might go to specialist surgeons in other hospitals. As such, there might be separate medical records in another hospital that we need.
Your medical and hospital records contain more than just treatment and medical procedures. Any notes made by doctors and nurses about your condition and how your injuries were recovering may be relevant. Additionally, records about any prescribed medication and follow-up doctor appointments should be obtained for review.
How to Get Copies of Your Medical Records for a Car Accident Claim in Birmingham, AL
Getting copies of medical records sounds like it should be easy. After all, people have a right to their own medical records and history. While you should not be denied access to your medical history, they might take some time to assemble, and you might not obtain them overnight.
Generally, you and your Mobile, AL car accident lawyer must make a formal request for medical records. You might have to submit records requests to one or several hospitals depending on where you were treated and the extent of your treatment. Many hospitals have online portals where patients can submit formal requests for copies of their medical records. Alternatively, we can help you make some phone calls and figure out where to send a written request.
Why Medical Records Are Important to Birmingham, AL Car Accident Cases
It might seem like evidentiary overkill to obtain medical records from all the treatment you received following a car accident, especially if your medical treatment was extensive. However, these records are necessary for several reasons. Not only will your medical records prove the extent and severity of your injuries, but they may also give us an accurate picture of medical expenses.
Your financial compensation from the case depends on how we prove your damages and injuries. Generally, the more solidly we establish your damages, the more likely you will be awarded compensation. Since medical expenses are notoriously expensive, and medical treatment following a car crash is often extensive, proving your medical damages and expenses is crucial to getting you fair and full compensation.
Medical records not only help us establish your injuries’ factual existence, but they may also be powerfully persuasive as to how much pain and suffering you endured. Injuries are often complicated, and a jury might not fully grasp just how bad they were based solely on testimony. Your hospital records can help us show the true magnitude of your pain, suffering, and injuries.
When You Should Get Copies of Your Medical Records for a Car Accident Claim in Birmingham, AL
There is not necessarily a deadline by which you need to gather your medical records, but we should focus on obtaining them as soon as possible. Even if your treatments are ongoing, we should get copies of current records. Medical records usually take time to pull together, so it is best to submit formal requests early.
Your medical records are likely not waiting for you in a filing cabinet somewhere. Instead, records are probably scattered across various doctors’ offices and hospitals. For example, if you went to the ER after your car accident, underwent surgery at another hospital, and were prescribed medicine by another doctor, all those records would be in different medical institutions and offices. A thorough compilation of your records will probably take some time to assemble. As such, we can help you submit your claims sooner rather than later.
Call Our Birmingham, AL Car Accident Attorneys for Assistance
To arrange a free evaluation of your claims and go over your medical records with our Birmingham, AL personal injury lawyers, call the offices of Howe Law at (844) 876-4357.
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