The Importance of Medical Documentation in Your Brain Injury Claim
Posted Friday, February 1, 2013 by Chris Thayer
A claimant who suffers a brain injury in an accident stands to have a substantial settlement. As is true in personal injury claims generally, the quality of medical documentation will be a strong determiner in how strong a case a Seattle brain injury attorney can make for the valuation of your claim.
What Is Reflected in Medical Bills
Insurance adjusters are interested in the bills for your medical treatment above all other documents. This is in part because medical costs usually account for the lion’s share of a claim. But medical bills also provide evidence of the legitimacy of your brain injuries. For this reason, your Seattle brain injury attorney will ask you to provide him/her with copies of all such bills.
That said, not all medical bills are given high regard by insurance adjusters. The source of the bills and nature of the treatment/testing they reflect are important. Bills for X-rays, CAT scans, and MRI tests are good, but if their results do not support your brain injury they will actually weaken your claim. Indeed, if the bills submitted to the insurance company reflect treatment that seems unrelated to your injury, this can cause the adjuster to suspect even more clearly related bills. Much stronger bills are those that reflect a lengthy hospital stay and physical therapy.
Quality Medical Information
Second to medical bills in importance to your brain injury claim is information from such sources as:
• Emergency room records.
• Medical reports.
• Physical therapist reports.
• Diagnoses from doctors.
Your Seattle brain injury attorney will ask you to obtain narrative reports from treating physicians who are well-regarded. These are superior in value to the often illegible handwritten notes of a doctor. It is important that the reports do not contain vague or qualifying terms such as “maybe” or “slight possibility.” These suggest that the doctor is unsure of his diagnosis of your brain injury, and the insurance adjuster will lower the valuation of your claim accordingly.
If You Have Been Injured
Given the nature and seriousness of brain injuries, if you are hurt in an accident due to the negligence of someone else it may be in your best interests to hire a Seattle brain injury attorney. Call Chris Thayer to arrange a free consultation today at (206) 340-2008.