Obtaining Medical Records and Bills
Some of the most important pieces of evidence in your car crash case are your medical records and bills. Your medical records show the defendant’s insurance company that you were injured in the accident. Your medical bills show how much money you spent on the injuries. This money should be compensated for by the at-fault party in the accident. Obtaining medical records and bills for Connecticut car accidents can seem like a difficult process. Here is some useful information on how to do this for your case.
Medical Records
To show your medical records to the defendant’s insurance company, you must request a copy of them. The medical records are one of the most important parts of your personal injury claim. Medical records will be used as hard evidence of your injuries. Without them, an insurance company will try to argue that you did not get injured in the car accident. You need to make sure that you can get these records. If you need help with this process, a personal injury lawyer will know what to do.
Your personal health information gets protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This act got passed in 1996. HIPAA gives you privacy when it comes to your medical records. It limits who can see these records and other private medical information. HIPAA also gives you the right to get a copy of your medical records. You can then give these records to whoever you want or need to.
In many cases, an insurance company will ask you to sign a release of information form when you file a personal injury claim. Signing this document means that your rights under HIPAA are no longer protected. If you are asked to sign a form like this, make sure that you only give the insurance company access to recent medical issues. You don’t want the insurance company to see your entire medical history. They should only see information related to the car accident.
Every state has slightly different rules when it comes to releasing medical records. Contact our office to learn more about Connecticut’s medical record release laws.
Medical Bills
Getting access to your medical bills is a little easier than the medical records process. This is because you are given receipts for your medical expenses. If you lose these receipts, you can easily contact the doctor’s office to get a new copy of them. The doctor’s office can also confirm your medical bills if the insurance company tries to contest them.
It is easiest to keep a record of your medical bills as you get them. But, if you lose certain bills, you can get access to them later in the personal injury process.
Work With A Connecticut Auto Wreck Lawyer On Gathering Medical Documents
If you need help obtaining medical records and bills for Connecticut car accidents, contact our office. We have experience obtaining these documents and are happy to help. We can do this for you so that you can focus on other important things at this time.