A car accident can cause injuries. If you have been involved in a car accident caused by another person’s negligence, you are liable to claim compensation for your injuries. However, you will have to prove that the injuries caused to you and for which you are claiming compensation relate to the present car accident and not any other incident. Insurance agents are notorious for claiming that the injuries you have do not relate to the car accident, are caused by another accident, or even that your injuries are not related to the accident at all. This post will cover the importance of medical records in proving your claim. 

Why are Medical Records Important?

Medical records serve as irrefutable proof that the injuries sustained by you are related to the car accident because they are a timeline of proof regarding diagnosis, type of treatment, doctor’s appointments, and details concerning the doctor’s opinion about your injury. 

Medical records also entail the outcome or projected result of a treatment procedure, a breakdown of treatment costs, an assessment of your current medical condition, and future treatment procedures with detailed descriptions to estimate expected medical costs.

Common Types of Medical Records Used in Car Accident Cases

These include but are not limited to the records of the paramedic and ambulance services, emergency room records, hospital visits, diagnostic testing records, follow-up appointments, physical therapy records, independent medical evaluations, and other records related to the injuries sustained from the accident.

How Do Medical Records Impact Car Accident Compensation?

They prove that your injuries resulted from the accident.

Medical records can be crucial in supporting a car accident claim because they validate the victim’s story. When supported by eyewitness accounts, they make it hard for the defense to prove otherwise. The physician’s statements and reports make it hard for the defendant’s insurance company to deny the claim or settle for a lower amount.

They prove that your injuries relate to the current accident.

The timeline of medical records and the nature of the evidence gathered will prove that your injuries resulted from the current accident and did not pertain to an earlier time. The doctor’s examination and opinion report will prove that the injuries you sustained are new and did not aggravate a previously existing condition.

They help determine the value of your compensation.

Medical records are time-based evidence that keeps track of the cost of your injuries. Since they include all financial expenses related to the injuries from the accident from the time it was sustained till the present, they show the timeline of your injury and how the car accident has affected you in the present and estimated future costs. This will help you greatly in determining the value of your claim for compensation and increase the likelihood that it will be settled to your satisfaction.

It is, therefore, exceedingly important that you seek medical attention immediately following the accident, follow your doctor’s instructions, participate in all medical treatments, and tell your doctor every detail connected to your injuries and pain throughout the process.  Keeping a record of all medical and other details will help your Cherry Hill car accident lawyer file a claim that has the best chance of getting compensated.