Juan: Hi Jason, I was in an accident and just got out of the hospital. And now the insurance guy is calling and wants permission to see my medical records. Why is asking for these? He’s not my doctor?
Jason: Thanks for your question, Juan. If your injuries were sustained during the accident, then the insurance company paying the claim will want to verify the injuries. But I recommend that you contact an attorney first before granting access to any of your medical records.
Juan: Why? I’ve got nothing to hide. I have real injuries and they happened when that work truck hit me.
Jason: Did the truck belong to a company?
Juan: I think so. It was a big dually truck and it had some company logo on it.
Jason: Juan, I believe that you are being honest about your injuries, but even so, insurance adjusters, and especially those that represent company vehicles, are not always honest. They don’t care about your well-being, or doing the right thing. What they want is to pay the minimum they can get away with for your case.
Juan: That’s awful. But I still don’t understand what that has to do with my medical records. The bills show exactly how much my hospital stay and treatment were.
Jason: Yes, but if you sign a medical release, you could be granting the insurance adjuster access to all of your medical history. If you give them this access, they will search your records looking for something they can use to claim you have a pre-existing condition, so they don’t have to pay you as much.
Juan: That doesn’t seem fair, Jason.
Jason: No, it’s not. I’ve even heard of cases where insurance companies argue that the injuries were not related to the accident at all. That’s why you should work with an experienced attorney who will ensure that the medical release is precisely worded so that that the insurance company can only review the injuries related to the accident.
Juan: Wow, thank you Jason. I didn’t realize that they would do that.
Jason: You’re welcome.
DeSouza Law firm is a leading personal injury firm representing accident victims throughout Texas.
If you’ve been injured by a car, truck, 18-wheeler, company vehicle, or in the oilfield, call DeSouza injury Lawyers today at 361-799-2222 or visit the firm online at https://jfdlawfirm.com/.