After a car accident, many injured drivers focus on the damage to their vehicle when looking for evidence. However, your medical records are an extremely important piece of the evidentiary puzzle.
In many cases, medical records from treatments after a car accident are voluminous and might be scattered across numerous hospitals or doctors’ offices. Important records in a car accident case include your medical history, paramedics and emergency room records, and records about any treatment you received after the emergency room. Obtaining your records is often possible through formal requests submitted to the hospital, although it might take some time to get a physical copy. We can use your records to prove the existence of your injuries and the costs of treatment for calculating damages. If your medical records are incomplete, we can help you find other evidence to support your claims.
Your medical records are important for proving your claims in a car accident case. Our Mississippi car accident lawyers can help you obtain these records and begin preparing your case. For a free case review, call Howe Law at (844) 876-4357.
Medical Records Necessary for a Car Accident Claim in Mississippi
Your medical records are usually not a single compilation of records and paperwork from one doctor or hospital. Many people have medical records in various hospitals and doctor’s offices, depending on how they were treated. Medical records we might need to prove your claims in a car accident include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:
- Medical history from before the accident
- Paramedic records
- Notes and charts from when you were first admitted to the emergency room
- Prescription records
- Imaging and test results
- Records from follow-up visits with your doctor
- Surgical records
- Notes from doctors and nurses
Obtaining your medical records from your primary care doctor from before your accident can help us establish a health baseline from before the crash. Records from the day of the accident likely pertain to emergency services, like treatment from paramedics and emergency room doctors. Talk to our Jackson car accident lawyers about your accident and the medical care you received, and we can help you start tracking down the records you need for your case.
How to Obtain Medical Records for a Car Accident Claim in Mississippi
Most people do not have much trouble getting copies of their own medical records. Since this is your personal information, you have a right to request these records, and our Mississippi car accident lawyers can assist.
Even so, proper channels need to be followed. We cannot simply walk not the hospital, ask for your records, and walk back out with your records in hand. We might need to first speak with your doctor or someone at the hospital about the procedures necessary to get copies of your medical records.
Often, patients need to submit a formal written request for their records. The request must be submitted to the proper authorities, usually someone who works for or with the hospital and oversees maintaining and dispensing records. We should also be prepared to make formal requests for records at multiple institutions, especially if you saw multiple doctors for treatment.
For example, the hospital where you were initially admitted to the emergency room should have your records regarding the emergency medical care you received. If you had to see a specialist doctor or surgeon for other treatments, you might have to go to the hospital where that doctor works. The process might be easier if you saw multiple doctors who all work within the same healthcare network. To figure all this out, we need to start making requests until we have all the necessary records.
Using Medical Records to Support Your Claims in a Mississippi Car Accident
Having your medical records is only half the equation. Once we have them, we must use them effectively to prove various aspects of your claim. Perhaps the biggest use for your medical records is proving damages.
Medical records can help our Hattiesburg car accident lawyers establish the existence of your injuries. When filing car insurance claims, the issue of fraud inevitably comes up. Unfortunately, many people fake their injuries from minor car accidents to make a quick buck from unsuspecting drivers and insurance companies. As such, insurance companies and courts like to see hard proof of your injuries so they know the accident was real.
Your medical records might also be used to establish the cost of your treatment. An important part of your medical records does not come from your doctor but rather from the people who work in billing. Often, a hospital’s billing department can help us get an itemized list of things like medications and procedures you were charged for as part of your treatment.
Medical records can also help support your claims for non-economic damages for pain and suffering in a lawsuit. If your records indicate your injuries were severe, the emotional and physical pain and suffering that flows from your injuries are more apparent.
What to Do About your Car Accident Claims if Your Medical Records Are Incomplete in Mississippi
A common reason people might have incomplete or inaccurate medical records is that they did not seek immediate medical care. For example, you might have thought your injuries were minor, so you declined to go to the hospital. However, you quickly realized you had serious internal injuries and ended up at the hospital anyway. In such cases, our Mississippi personal injury lawyers can help you find other evidence to use alongside your medical records.
Sometimes, injuries are partially healed by the time a doctor documents them. In other cases, the injuries became far worse because they did not receive timely treatment. In either case, it might be difficult to determine the extent of your injuries as they were caused by the car accident.
Even if your medical records do not paint a complete picture of your injuries, we can find other evidence to support your claims alongside your medical records. Witness testimony, physical evidence from the accident scene, photos, and videos might all play a role in supporting your claims.
Call Our Mississippi Car Accident Attorneys for a Free Evaluation of Your Claims
Contact our Hattiesburg personal injury attorneys about obtaining your medical records to use for your car accident claims. For a free case review, call Howe Law at (844) 876-4357.
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