QUESTION
Do I have to give the insurance company my medical records? How?
Asked on May 25th, 2015 on Personal Injury - North Carolina
More details to this question:
Do I have to show my medical records in order to have them pay for my bills? They already paid to fix the car because it wasn’t my fault. I have been trying to get the insurance to pay my medical bills for months, and now they are asking for unlimited access to my medical records. There are some records that are completely unrelated to the crash that I would rather they did not see, but I really need reimbursement for my medical bills, and I do not want to lose the chance to get a settlement. Do I need to grant them access to all of my records?
14 ANSWERS
Personal Injury Attorney serving Pasadena, CA
at
Law Offices of Pius Joseph
Update Your Profile
You seem to be handling this matter on your own. If your case is small and expectation is small from the case you can cooperate with the insurance company although they will take advantage of you . If you want to be smart about it, hire a lawyer to deal with this since insurance company will not give you the fair value of your under any circumstance of you deal with them directly. Second, a lawyer will not give them unfettered rights to the medical records. So best advice is to stop contact with them and get a competent lawyer to handle your matter. Good Luck.
Answered on May 28th, 2015 at 6:58 AM
Edwin K. Niles
Often the insurance companies will evaluate a case based solely on the medical bills and reports from the treating doctors. Once in a while, however, they will want to review all old records to make sure that the current problems are not something that you had before the incident.
Answered on May 26th, 2015 at 7:35 PM
Bankruptcy Attorney serving Madison, WI
at
Richard B. Jacobson & Associates, LLC
Update Your Profile
Yes. If you want them to pay the bills, they have to use their own judgment, and not yours, on what is relevant and what is not. I don't think you need to worry about their seeing anything personal or embarrassing: they've seen it all before, and they cannot disclose it further to harm you. Good Luck. whom you personally retain.
Answered on May 26th, 2015 at 3:55 PM
James Eugene Hasser
You do not have to give them access to your medical records, but if you are claiming you were injured, you open up your medical condition to scrutiny and if suit is filed they would be allowed access to all your records unless you get a protective order from the court. As a practical matter, though, if you don't allow them access, it is not likely that they will fully compensate you for your injuries in a settlement. You may want to restrict their access, if they will allow you to. You may also want to talk to an experienced injury lawyer. Good luck.
Answered on May 26th, 2015 at 2:51 PM
Personal Injury Attorney serving Salt Lake City, UT
at
William Enoch Andrews Injury Lawyer
Update Your Profile
First, get an injury lawyer to help you because he will handle this for you and make sure the insurance company does not try to get more records than are reasonable and relevant. Second, yes, the car insurance companies almost always require you to sign a medical release in order for them to get all of your medical bills and records to pay at least up to the $3,000.00 PIP (Personal Injury Protection) Utah State Minimum required coverage. Third, again, get an injury lawyer to represent you to help you protect your rights and get you a far better result than you could get.
Answered on May 26th, 2015 at 12:16 PM
Ronald A. Steinberg
How can you prove that the medical bills are due to accident-related injuries? Only the records will prove it. So the answer is YES. By giving access to all bills, you are also proving that they are not paying for either a pre-existing condition or for unrelated problems.
Answered on May 26th, 2015 at 7:42 AM
Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Attorney serving Syracuse, NY
at
Andrew T. Velonis, P.C.
Update Your Profile
Yes, you do need to let them see. If you want the bills paid, they have to see what they are paying for. As for unrelated conditions, they want to make sure they are not paying for that, and the only way to sort through it is to see what the records say.
Answered on May 26th, 2015 at 7:15 AM
Lisa Hurtado McDonnell
You have to share your medical records to show it wasn't a preexisting condition or that the accident was exasperated ( made condition worse).
Answered on May 26th, 2015 at 12:48 AM
They are definitely not entitled in California to see any psychiatric or drug abuse records unless you are alleging a mental injury, and they are only entitled to see medical records that might be relevant [injuries effecting the same parts of your body or functions]. The Release you sign should have that restriction and the requirement that you get a copy of all the records and that the Release is good only for same the last ten years and expires within 6 months. The problem is, that the medical provider will not go through the records and only give them relevant, non-protected information, they will just turn over your entire file for copying. They are not legally obligated to settle with you and will not unless they see the records, unless you are asking for less than the case is worth. If you file suit, they will be able and will subpoena all your medical records. So you do not have much of a choice if you want to settle. But first see a couple of personal injury attorney, the initial visit is free, and find out roughly how much your case is worth.
Answered on May 25th, 2015 at 11:46 PM
1 Award
Your lawyer can give the insurance company authorizations for just those doctors or hospitals who treated you for the injuries you suffered in the accident. You don't have to give the insurance company a blanket authorization. If you don't have a lawyer yet, you should get one. It will make everything much easier and will probably result in your getting more money.
Answered on May 25th, 2015 at 11:44 PM
Personal Injury Law Attorney serving San Diego, CA
at
Law Office of Robert Burns
Update Your Profile
You are vague and incomplete on your information. If you are addressing liability insurance there is no right to insurance proceeds except for damages which you establish; in that event you'll need a confidentiality agreement but won't be able to play judge and decide what's relevant.
Answered on May 25th, 2015 at 11:38 PM
Personal Injury Attorney serving Atlanta, GA
at
Gregory S. Shurman, LLC
Update Your Profile
You should consult with an attorney. Your question is best answered by way of conversation.
Answered on May 25th, 2015 at 11:33 PM
Personal Injury Attorney serving Portland, OR
at
Kaplan Law, LLC
Update Your Profile
It depends on the facts involved. I recommend you not have any contact w the at fault party insurance company.
Answered on May 25th, 2015 at 8:03 PM
You can send them the relevant bills and records only.
Answered on May 25th, 2015 at 7:57 PM