How Medical Documentation Strengthens a Personal Injury Case
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You’re looking to receive maximum accident injury compensation following an accident? Here’s something you should know.
While many people believe that a personal injury case is dependent upon what happens in an accident, it really is all about what you can prove. The largest piece of evidence you can prove is through medical documentation.
Here’s what you need to knowâŚ
Did you know that even legitimate injury claims have been denied due to lack of medical evidence? Insurance companies and defense attorneys know this. You should know this too.
When it comes to your injury claim, you’ll want to learn:
- Why Medical Documentation Is So Crucial
- What Types Of Records Help Your Case
- How Documentation Impacts Accident Injury Compensation
- Common Medical Documentation Errors
- How to Improve Your Injury Documentation
Ready to learn more? Let’s dive in!
Why Medical Documentation Is So Crucial
When you think about your personal injury case, you should first think about your medical documentation. Your medical records relate your accident to your injury. Without medical documentation to support your injury claim, you do not have a case.
Imagine for a second thatâŚ
You went to the hospital immediately following your accident and told the doctor that your injury was your buddy’s fault. The insurance adjuster does not care. Your doctor writes you a report that details your injury and the cause, however, now the insurance adjuster cares.
Your medical records serve as evidence toâŚ
- Prove that your injury exists: Diagnostic reports, scans and doctor’s notes confirm the injury is real.
- Prove that your accident caused your injury: A clear timeline connecting the incident to the diagnosis eliminates doubt.
- Prove that you sought treatment for your injury: Records of every visit, procedure and prescription justify the compensation being claimed.
Now, a skilled OKC personal injury lawyer can take that medical documentation and use it to get you the maximum amount of accident injury compensation. Without your medical documentation, your case will be nothing.
What Types Of Records Help Your Case
Just because you received medical attention, does not mean you have enough medical documentation to support your injury claim. There are specific documents that hold more weight than others.
Here are the types of documents you should focus on:
Emergency room records: When you first visit the hospital, they have nothing to go off of. They create a report detailing your injury once you come in and relate it back to your accident.
Diagnostic records: Reports such as x-rays, MRIs, and CT scans are pivotal when it comes to solidifying your injury claim. Images detail what you are claiming your injury to be.
Doctor notes: Follow-up appointments with your doctor matter. The more your doctor checks in on you, the better it looks when your insurance adjuster reviews your case.
Prescription documentation: Were you prescribed any medication? Did you have to take pain medication to manage your injury? These are important documents to save and show to your lawyer.
Specialist visits: Did you visit a specialist? This means that your injury was serious enough for you to be sent to another doctor to evaluate.
You should know that any documents that you have that relate back to your injury and accident are useful to your case.
How Documentation Impacts Accident Injury Compensation
Okay, so you know that medical records play a large role in your injury claim. But did you know that they can determine how much you get paid?
When insurance companies calculate how much they believe you should be compensated, they use a method called the multiplier method. What this means is they take your total medical expenses and multiply them by a number based on how severe your injuries are.
This rangesâŚ
Anywhere from 1.5 to 5 times your medical expenses. So the better your medical documentation, the more money you could be awarded since your medical costs should be higher.
According to recent data, only 5% of personal injury lawsuits actually make it to trial. This means that 95% of the time, they settle out of court. When settling, medical records can be used to push for a higher amount of accident injury compensation.
If your medical records are solid, insurance companies will have a hard time denying you the compensation you deserve or low balling you.
Let’s look at an exampleâŚ
Say you broke your leg in the accident and have medical documents to prove it. You go to the doctor and they confirm your leg is broken, you go to get an MRI to see how severe the break is, you’re in pain so you’re given pain medication, and you’re seeing a specialist to ensure that everything is healing properly.
You go to court and your medical records show that you visited the hospital 3 days after the accident.
What could your insurance company say? There would be no way for them to deny your injury claim.
Common Medical Documentation Errors
Here’s the thing. Even if you were injured during your accident, you can do things to weaken your case. Below are some medical documentation mistakes that people commonly make.
Visiting the doctor months later. The longer you wait to visit your doctor, the easier it is for the insurance company to say that your injury was not caused by your accident.
Avoiding check-ups. If you skip out on your doctors, your insurance adjuster may think your injury wasn’t serious or causing you pain.
Not being descriptive. When you speak to your doctor, you must be specific about where you are feeling pain. Saying “my leg hurts” isn’t going to cut it.
Not keeping copies. Keep every single medical bill, receipt, report, you name it.
According to industry statistics, those who hire an attorney receive roughly 3 times more than those who do not. With that being said, medical documentation should be handled by a professional.
How To Improve Your Injury Documentation
Improving your medical documentation can be easy if you follow these simple steps.
See a doctor right away. The sooner you see your doctor following your accident, the better.
Follow through with everything your doctor tells you to do. If they say rest, you rest. If they say go to physical therapy, you go.
Start a personal injury diary. Write down your pain levels, what you can and cannot do, how your injury is affecting you emotionally, etc.
Keep all documentation. All paperwork that relates to your injury and accident is important.
Speak up to your doctors. If something hurts, tell your doctor. If you cannot perform a task, tell your doctor.
By following these steps, you can ensure that you have a sufficient amount of medical documentation to support your injury claim.
Wrapping Things Up
As you can see, medical documentation plays a major role in your personal injury case. They can prove that you were injured during your accident and that you took the necessary steps to receive treatment for your injury.
Here are some key reminders to take notes on:
- Seek medical attention
- Don’t skip any appointments
- Be specific when you speak to doctors and nurses
- Keep all documentation related to your injury and accident
- Work with a personal injury attorney who understands how to utilize medical documentation to maximize accident injury compensation
Having proper medical documentation can be the difference between receiving minimum injury compensation to maximum injury compensation. Don’t leave money on the table and ensure that you’re creating a strong base for your injury case with your medical documentation.
