Why Are Medical Records Important?
Medical records are important if you want to establish who’s at fault in a personal injury case. They can help prove an accident caused your injuries, and contributed to the medical bills, lost income, and other damages you dealt with later. As the injured party, your burden of proof in a case is to show you suffered compensable damages. Retaining a Los Angeles personal injury attorney is an important step in achieving this goal.
Your medical records are:
- Direct evidence of your injuries. In a personal injury case, every emergency room record, doctor’s note, diagnosis, recommended treatment, and medical documentation of your pain is evidence. These records can estimate recovery time and predict future treatments you may require.
- Proof of damages. Records of medical care can form the legal basis behind your case. Without such proof, an insurance company can argue you weren’t seriously injured, even if you skipped treatment due to financial concerns or issues with transportation.
- Indication of what your injury case is worth. The exact price of hospital stays, surgeries, rehabilitation, and prescriptions can be calculated. Your personal injury attorney can use your records to quantify the financial impact of your injuries, medical treatment, ongoing physical therapy, and even mental impacts.
Medical records are also important in your fight against the defense. Their insurance company may conduct a medical investigation of its own. If you already have records of your medical condition and treatments immediately after the accident, your personal injury attorney can build a stronger case for your claim.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act protects the privacy of medical records. However, you’ll need to sign a release so an attorney can review your records to assess the case. Medical information must also be revealed to the defense during a lawsuit.
The Truth Lies in Your Medical Records
In fact, medical records are considered one of the strongest forms of legal evidence. They are accurate and quantifiable. The details provide a clear picture of the nature of your injuries, and how they impact your life. Provide as much information about your medical history as possible and submit all test results. It’s also important to follow up on recommended appointments and treatments.
By addressing your health needs, you have the proof that can be the lifeline for your case. The potential lies not only in proving economic damages. You can also use medical information to prove non-economic damages such as mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of activities, and exacerbation of prior injuries. Your medical records may show this, so you end up receiving even higher compensation.
Call The Law Offices of Jacob Emrani if you have suffered injuries in an accident. Our Los Angeles car accident attorney provides legal services for clients throughout California, including Los Angeles and Orange County. If you are prepared to fight an insurance company to get the compensation you deserve, contact us online or at (888)-206-1427 for a free case