Your medical records help demonstrate several important aspects of your case, including the existence of your injuries, their severity, the connection between the accident and your injuries, present and future medical treatment costs, and your need for ongoing medical treatment. Here’s how:
The Existence of Injuries
Some motor vehicle accidents do not result in injuries and only involve property damage. Today’s vehicles have more safety features than ever before, so motorists are much safer than they were in previous decades. Still, car accidents can involve intense collisions and physics, so injuries are still possible. Seeking medical attention immediately after an accident helps ensure that your medical conditions are diagnosed as soon as possible.
The Severity of Injuries
Insurance companies often like to minimize the severity of injuries so that they can justify lowball settlement offers. They are highly profitable companies that make a lot of money by receiving more in premium payments than they pay in resolving claims. They look for any evidence that they can use against you, such as records regarding pre-existing conditions or admissions that you were not as badly injured as you claim. Experienced personal injury lawyers know these tactics and can anticipate them when dealing with them.
Official medical documents can help demonstrate the true severity of your injuries. Having strong medical evidence is particularly important in cases involving catastrophic injuries so that you can fight for an amount of financial compensation that fairly compensates you for your losses.
The severity of your injuries can also impact the value of your pain and suffering claim. The more painful your injuries, the more compensation you can seek. Some medical records that may help demonstrate the existence and severity of your injuries include the following:
- Emergency treatment reports
- Diagnostic test results and imaging studies
- Doctors’ notes and follow-up appointments
- Specialist records
- Independent medical examination (IME) reports
- Surgical reports
- Discharge notes
- Treatment plans
The Connection Between the Accident and Your Injuries
Medical records can also help show the link between the car crash and your injuries. Prompt medical attention helps decrease the likelihood that the insurance company will be able to show that your injuries were caused by some other factor or pre-existing condition. Emergency room visits, diagnostic tests, and initial doctor consultations that occur near the time of the accident are especially valuable.
Treatment Costs and Support for Financial Compensation
Medical bills and records can help demonstrate the costs of your medical treatment, as well as your demand for further compensation for ongoing medical treatment, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, pain and suffering, emotional distress, permanent scarring, and disfigurement caused by the injuries.
The Need for Ongoing Medical Treatment
Medical records can also support your claim for compensation for ongoing medical care and future medical costs, including rehabilitation, surgeries, medications, and more.
Contact Us for a Free Consultation
If you would like assistance in obtaining the medical records that you need to support your claim, contact George Salinas Injury Lawyers for legal guidance and representation.