Of course, when you file a personal injury claim, you are doing so because you got wrongfully injured. Arguably, the most concrete way to establish your injuries is through medical records. Plus, the whole point of your claim may be to seek financial compensation for incurred damages, such as your medical bills. With that being said, please continue reading to learn more about the critical role of medical records in a claim and how one of the experienced Panama City personal injury attorneys at Manuel & Thompson, PA can help you obtain enough to bring a solid case forward.
What is the role of medical records in a personal injury claim?
Your injuries may no longer be visible. But even if they are, nobody may understand the true physical pain and discomfort they still cause you. And so, your medical records may not only prove the existence of your injuries, but their extent. Namely, they may specify the symptoms you reported, the diagnosis they reached, the treatment plan they recommended, and more.
On top of this, your medical records may establish when you sought treatment for your injury and its causation. That is, the nature of your injury may be a commonly associated result of the type of personal injury accident you claimed to be a part of. But the defendant may counter-claim that your injuries were pre-existing. Well, if the dates of your medical records line up with your accident date, this may swiftly dismiss this argument.
Lastly, because your medical records heavily detail the extent of your injuries, they may play a major role in how much financial compensation the Florida civil court decides to award you. This is because you may also recover damages for your future medical bills, especially if your recommended treatment plan highlights the likelihood of long-term care needs, intense surgical procedures, etc., all of which require you to spend even more time away from work (i.e., lost wages and lost earning capacity).
What types of medical records should I include in my claim?
Now that you understand the important role of medical records, you must note the types to include in your personal injury claim. Any relevant record you can get your hands on is helpful, but below is a basic guideline for the ones you should obtain:
- Diagnostic reports and test results (i.e., X-rays, MRI scans, CAT scans, ultrasounds, bloodwork, etc).
- Doctor’s notes (i.e., their official diagnosis, prescribed treatments, referrals to specialists, etc).
- Medication and treatment records (i.e., prescription refills, follow-up appointments, physical therapy sessions, etc).
- Medical billing records and cost summaries (i.e., emergency room bill, lost wages, medical assistive device purchases, etc).
To conclude, when it comes to your personal injury claim, you should not settle for anything less than spectacular legal representation. So please hire us to help with your claim proceedings. One of the skilled Panama City personal injury attorneys at Manuel & Thompson, PA, looks forward to working with you.
