Serious car wrecks are traumatic experiences. You will have many things to deal with, including repairing or replacing your vehicle and recovering from any injuries you suffered in the accident. Unfortunately, you will also need to speak to an insurance adjuster. This can be stressful, as both your adjuster and the other driver’s insurance company will be working to pay out as little as possible. Anything you say or admit to can affect whether or not you receive the funds you need for car repairs and medical bills. One method an insurance adjuster may use to reduce or deny your claim is to ask you to sign a medical records release form. Our Texas auto accident attorney details more.
Should You Sign a Medical Records Release Form?
If an adjuster calls you and requests your signature on a medical records release form, should you sign it? In most instances, the answer is no. Before you sign anything related to a car accident, it is important to speak to a Texas injury attorney who can review any and all paperwork with you. It’s never a good idea to sign something you don’t fully understand, and a medical records release form is a particularly challenging one. There are a few reasons why you shouldn’t sign such a document.
Insurance Companies Will Ask For More Than They Need
While it’s true that insurance adjusters need to know the details of any injuries that occurred as a result of the accident, they will often request more than they need. When you sign a medical records release form, you may not be just releasing a report of the physical impacts of the accident. You might be disclosing a full report of your entire medical history, including pre-existing conditions prior to the accident. Your past personal medical information is not the business of anyone—especially an insurance adjuster.
Remember, when it comes to a car accident claim, insurance companies are looking for a reason to deny or greatly reduce the payout—they are not working for your best interest.
Insurance Companies Will Use Your Past Against You
Once an insurance company has full access to your medical records, they might identify a pre-existing condition in your file that can be used to deny your claim. It is common for an adjuster to say you could be using the accident as an avenue to receive coverage for a previous accident or injury. Although this is likely not the case, it can be very difficult to fight against this version of events once a signed medical records release has set things in motion. You can be accused of exaggerating an injury in order to receive compensation, which can lead to more trauma than the accident itself.
When to Speak to a Texas Injury Attorney
If your car accident wasn’t particularly severe, or you feel it was obvious who was at fault, it can make sense to file an insurance claim without speaking to an attorney. After all, lawyering up is a bit of an overdramatic reaction, right? Unfortunately, too many individuals think this way and end up losing out on the insurance payouts they deserve. No matter how minor you think your accident was, if you were injured, you should always contact a lawyer to avoid getting tricked or overwhelmed by an insurance adjuster’s questions or requests. A medical records release form is one of the ways they will try to manipulate you, and a lawyer can help.
SJ Injury Attorneys can help you get the compensation you deserve. If you’ve been in a car accident that wasn’t your fault, you have every right to file a claim. A lawyer can review your rights with you and discuss compensation for:
- Past and future medical costs related to the accident
- Lost income
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Pain and suffering
You deserve to get the help and compensation you need in order to move forward from the hassles of a car accident
