What Medical Documentation Do You Need to Prove Your Claim?

If you’ve been injured because of another person’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. But, being the plaintiff and victim, you will also carry the burden of proof. What this means is that you’ll have to show proof that the actions of the at-fault party led to your injuries. This is why it’s so important to have an experienced Florida personal injury lawyer on your side to help increase the success of your personal injury claim greatly.

A highly-qualified personal injury attorney in Florida can employ a number of resources to communicate their clients’ damages and pursue and collect the maximum compensation possible for their personal injury claims.

What Medical Documentation Will You Require to Provide Your Personal Injury Claim? 

Whether you choose to tackle the negotiation process of your accident claim all on your own or hire an experienced and dedicated personal injury lawyer to assist you with that burden, you’ll need to collect and organize the required documentation for your case. These records can include: 

Medical Bills and Medical Records 

Following an accident, you can expect all sorts of medical bills. It’s essential that you organize and keep all medical bills, even if you receive several from the same doctor. You should also organize your medical bills into a chronological list as they come in. Doing this will help you maintain a chart that provides:

• The date
• The provider
• The amount
• The service provided

Each doctor that provided you with medical care will have their own medical records of the type of services they provided you with and the types of products they used for your treatment and care. For example, medical records may include things like:

• Hospital fees
• Ambulance costs
• Therapy sessions
• Primary care doctor fees

Any document that pertains to the treatment you received is considered a medical record and is proof that can support your personal injury claim. Medical records can also include things like drug prescriptions, lab tests, bed or wheelchair rentals, doctors’ narratives, hospital charts, any exams performed during treatment, and nurses’ notes. 

These bills and records can be useful in proving your damages in your personal injury case. They can help you show proof of pain and suffering, emotional distress, and disfigurement, and even support lost wages because of your accident.

HIPAA and Your Privacy 

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) protects your private health information. There are certain limitations through HIPAA about who can request copies of or see your medical records. To release your medical records, you will need to sign a HIPAA authorization form. Without your signed and notarized authorization, your medical records may not be requested by anyone.

There are frequent delays in doctors or hospitals releasing medical records even with a signed authorization form. It’s best that you send out a letter with your HIPAA authorization that specifies a certain timeframe in which you require your medical records. The standard is 30 days, but you can set a time limit. After you send out the initial request, you should follow up with this request to ensure your request has been received by the appropriate parties and is being worked on. 

Schedule a Free Consultation With One of Our Personal Injury Lawyers at Baker Legal Team Today 

Suffering injuries in the aftermath of an accident caused by another person’s negligence can be overwhelming. The good news is that you don’t have to take the burden of the legal process on yourself. At Baker Legal Team, our compassionate and board-certified personal injury lawyers in Florida are here to help. We’ll take the insurance adjusters and paperwork off your plate to allow you to focus on your healing and recovery.

We’ll work hard to gather all the necessary medical documentation required to prove your injuries were due to your accident. We’ll do our very best to ensure you receive the maximum settlement amount for your personal injury case. We have the experience, skills, and resources to fight on your behalf and build you a solid claim. Call our law offices today at (561) 320-0000 or fill out our online form on our website to schedule a free consultation to discuss the legal options involved in your personal injury case.