To recover financial compensation after being injured in a Georgia car accident, you will need to gather a submit your medical records as evidence of your damages. Your medical records can provide a detailed story for the court to evaluate your claim.
To support your car accident claim in Georgia, you will need to obtain any medical records made during your current treatment. This usually starts with ambulance and emergency room records but typically includes several other records from other providers. You will also need any past medical records to show that the injuries you are now claiming are not related to pre-existing injuries you suffered.
If you were injured in a car accident in Georgia, our Georgia car accident attorneys can help you gather your medical records to support your claim. Contact us at Howe Law by calling (844) 876-4357 for your free case evaluation.
Types of Medical Records Used to Support a Car Accident Claim in Georgia?
A victim’s medical records usually serve as the backbone of any personal injury claim following a car accident in Georgia. With your medical records, our attorneys can show that your injuries were caused by the accident at issue and by the driver in question.
Over the course of treatment for your car accident injuries, you will generate medical records from several different sources. Each of these records will be important to tell an accurate story of how this accident caused your injuries. The following are the usual types of medical records used to support a car accident claim in Georgia:
- Ambulance/Emergency Medical Services (EMS) records
- Emergency room records
- Other hospital records
- Surgical records
- Diagnostic testing records like MRIs, X-rays, and CT scans
- Prescription records
- Physical therapy records
- Chiropractic records
- Independent medical examinations
These medical records will help you prove how your current injuries were caused and show that any pre-existing conditions you suffered from are not the root cause. Our Georgia personal injury lawyers can review your medical records to determine how best to use them to support your car accident claim.
How Do I Get My Medical Records to Support My Car Accident Claim in Georgia?
For many car accident victims, this is their first experience needing to collect serious medical records. Most people understand that medical records are confidential but are unsure how those rules apply to them. Fortunately, your medical records are considered your property, and you have a right to obtain all copies of your records from any providers that treated you.
That being said, collecting your records in practice can be challenging for those unfamiliar with the complex process. Each place that treated you will manage its own records, so each needs to be contacted to gather yours. This can become frustrating quickly as each medical facility has its own process for releasing medical records that usually includes a fee.
Fortunately, our personal injury attorneys can take on this task on your behalf. With your authorization, our attorneys can contact all of your medical providers and have your records sent directly to our offices. From there, we can get an accurate picture of your injuries and the value of your claim.
How Will My Medical Records Support My Car Accident Claim in Georgia?
It is hard to understate how important your medical records are to support your car accident claim in Georgia. Medical records serve several functions in almost every car accident lawsuit, all of which are crucial to proving your injuries and recovering the full compensation your claim deserves. If you have suffered injuries in the past, your medical records will be vital to showing that this accident and your pre-existing conditions are unrelated.
Determining Your Claim’s Value
One important function your medical records will serve is determining an accurate value of your car accident claim. Our Columbus car accident lawyers have years of experience evaluating our client’s claims and will be able to come up with a figure to fairly cover your injuries. This will be part of the damages you claim in your lawsuit since you can recover any damages related to your injuries.
Your records will also help place a value on your physical and emotional pain. Your medical records often tell a story of how your life has been impacted over the course of treatment. Records showing your injuries’ impact on your life can significantly increase the compensation you receive later.
Proving Your Injuries
To recover compensation, you will need to prove that your injuries were caused by this accident. The best way to do this is with the medical providers’ notes contained in your medical records. When you visit the hospital after a car accident, a doctor will interview and exam you and conclude how your injuries occurred. In most cases, your records will state the doctors’ conclusions that your injuries resulted from this particular accident.
Thus, it is critical that you seek medical treatment as soon after your accident as possible. If too much time passes, it will be more difficult for medical professionals to conclude how your injuries were caused decisively. The defense can also use any delays to argue that your injuries are not that serious.
Ruling Out Pre-Existing Conditions
Lastly, your medical records will be crucial to show that your current injuries are not an extension of pre-existing injuries you suffered in the past. It is common practice for insurance companies and defense attorneys to pour over a victim’s past medical history to find an alternative source for their damages. If the defense can show that your current injuries are actually the result of past conditions, it can seriously impact your compensation. However, medical records addressing past conditions and how your current injuries differ can make all the difference in proving your claim.
To be clear, having a past condition will not prevent you from recovering compensation. In most cases, the car accident you were recently injured in exacerbated those pre-existing conditions, which you can be compensated for as it is technically a new injury. Our Atlanta personal injury attorneys can help distinguish your past injuries from your current ones to ensure you recover what you are owed for your claim.
Our Georgia Car Accident Attorneys Can Help
If you were injured in a car accident and need help collecting your medical records, our Atlanta car accident attorneys can help you with your claim. For a free case review, call Howe Law today at (844) 876-4357.
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