Making a Personal Injury Claim

Steps 6 to 10

Step 6 for making a personal injury claim is to give your insurance company a medical authorization from. Usually, adjusters will try to put that on the mail for you as soon as they can. They know it is easier to get a medical authorization sooner rather than later. Be aware of this release.

Read it carefully. Many insurance companies send blanket authorization forms that give them the authority to look at all your medical history even form the time you were born! It is obvious that an injury adjuster will not necessarily will go back and read every doctor visit you had since you were a baby, but they will look at other information about you �heart conditions, mental health, etc.� If you are comfortable with your insurance company knowing every thing about your health, then give them the authorization, if not; type a letter narrowing the scope.

For example, Clean Hands insurance company is authorized to receive my medical records and bills of my right shoulder injury that pertain to the December 14, 2007 car accident located at the intersection of Broadway and Indiana. Something to that effect would tell the medical provider to be aware of what they are sending.

Some insurance adjusters will get smart with you and tell you that your letter is not valid. This is simply untrue. However, if you do not want to argue over this point, tell them that you will give them a release of medical records, but they need to narrow the scope. If they ask why, quote personal reasons or identity theft.

They need this medical authorization report to pay your bills. By law, insurance companies are entitled to see the reports if they are paying for the medical visits. However, that does not mean they have to have unlimited access to everything. They can only see for what they paid for, unless you give them more authority.

Step 7 for making a personal injury claim is quite simple but important. Stick to the schedule prescribed. If your doctor tells you that you need to come in 3 times a week for 6 weeks, then you need to do that! You are dealing with your health, and after claim is settled, there is no going back and asking for more medical care. Make sure you are doing everything you can to get better. Going to the doctor is one of them. Many people seem to think that if they do not go to the doctor, the settlement amount would be bigger; after all they are saving money to the insurance company for not going in. This is a big mistake, insurance adjusters will tell you that if you were injured and in pain, you would have gone in to the doctor.

Going in is your way to show evidence later on of your pain. This is unfortunate, but it is true. Insurance adjusters and their lawyers will not give you much credit if you had to stay home with a lot of pain unless a doctor sees you. Making a personal injury claim is more about documentation than actual pain!

Step 8 when making a personal injury claim is to not allow for big gaps on treatment. If you have to go every other week, then do that. Every other two weeks or so, do not stop going to treat for more than that. Adjuster will claim that those weeks are evidence that you are getting better and that you are back to pre accident condition. In many occasions, the adjuster will not add more value for pain and suffering after 6 weeks of on treatment. Attorneys have a hard time disputing long gaps on treatment and it could lower the value of a settlement considerably.

Step 9 for making a personal injury claim successful is to keep a daily diary of your progress. Are you depressed? Did the accident cause a huge stress in your life? Can you lift your children? Are you able to put up the Christmas lights? How has this accident affect your life all together? This evidence could be accepted in court of law and can defeat the insurance company assumptions of no doctor visit, no pain. Keep a log of your doctor visits, your medication, and your progress. Only release this information if it is completely necessary.

Step 10 for making a personal injury claim is to wait for the insurance company first offer. Never settle on the first offer and never settle the day of the accident. Think about it long and hard and discuss with an attorney if you have to. Make sure that their offer is fair. If you do not believe it is, then you need to counter offer at very high amount, or you need find legal representation.

Get a great Bodily Injury E-book for more key information.

Read steps 1 to 5 for making a personal injury claim successful