Should I Release My Medical Records to Another Driver’s Insurance Adjuster?
No. You should not release your medical records to the insurance claims adjuster.
All insurance companies will ask for access to your medical records following an accident. However, you only need to give them the records they need that are specific to your case to make sure you protect your privacy.
But you must give them certain medical records because you will never receive a cent from the insurer if you do not give them the records pertaining to your injury claim.
Why You Must Not Release All Your Medical Records to Insurance Companies After an Accident
If you get injured in a car crash due to another driver’s negligent actions, the insurance claims adjuster will ask to see your medical records when they contact you. While this may seem harmless and even necessary to your claim, you cannot just give them an all-access pass to your records. You should know that the insurer does not really want to pay your claim or offer you a fair settlement.
Instead, they are looking for a way to go through your entire medical history to see if they can find an excuse to reduce or deny your settlement. The insurer will most likely ask you to sign a medical release or consent form to see your records. Do not, under any circumstances, sign this form.
Signing it means that you are giving them access to your entire medical history, not only the records related to the accident and your injuries. This will hurt your claim because they might see records related to pre-existing illnesses or injuries, which they can use to undermine your claim or deny payment. They will likewise use your records to argue that the accident did not cause your injuries.
Once you give them access to all your medical records, they will try to find something that they can use against you, such as records that might suggest you are not seriously injured or ones that might suggest you had a prior injury, even if the accident worsened your injury.
Once the insurance claims adjuster contacts you and asks for your medical records, discuss your case with a St. Petersburg car accident attorney before discussing the details of the crash with the adjuster and giving them access to your records. Likewise, keep in mind that if they ask for additional records that are not related to your claim, you have all the right to say no to them.
Seek Legal Guidance From an Experienced St. Petersburg Car Accident Attorney Now
While your medical records are useful for proving your injury claim, you must be extremely careful to give the at-fault driver only the records related to your claim. Let our St. Petersburg car accident attorneys at Tragos, Sartes & Tragos prevent your medical records from being used by sneaky insurers to reduce or deny your claim. We can give you the legal guidance you need to secure maximum compensation for all your car accident-related losses.
To arrange your free case evaluation with our St. Petersburg car accident attorney, contact us online or call 727-441-9125.