Getting Your Personal Injury Medical Records & Bills
Why should you help your personal injury attorney get your medical records and bills?
Medical records and billing statements are a critical piece of any personal injury case in Mississippi. This is true whether you are hurt in a car wreck, a slip and fall, due to medical negligence, or any other kind of personal injury. Your medical records and billing statements are used to prove the damages you have suffered in your personal injury case. They help your attorney show the medical treatment you have received as a result of being hurt. Typically, your personal injury attorney will request these documents from your treating providers after you have finished treatment at that specific facility.
When your injury attorney requests your medical records and bills, your treating physicians will typically charge as much as $1.00 per page up to 100 pages. The more treatment you get, the more these expenses add up. However, this is where you can help your personal injury case move a little faster and cut down your expenses. As the patient, you are entitled to receive a copy of your medical records and bills at a lower cost than your personal injury attorney. By requesting these records and bills be provided to you on a CD or thumb drive, the facilities are required under the Hitech Act to provide them to you for a flat rate of $6.50. Hitech Act applies to all medical providers who benefit in any way from federal funds. Just about every provider is bound by the Hitech Act. They are allowed to charge a small fee for postage and handling if you choose to receive them by mail, but this amount is still significantly less as a private individual rather than a lawyer or company might be charged. If the facility cannot provide you the records in electronic format even though you request them in that format, they cannot charge you any more than the $6.50 (+postage if applicable). The facility has 30 days from the date you request your records and bills to get them to you. Then, you should provide your attorney with these documents so that they might use them in your case. It may also save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in expenses at the end of your case. Our advice is not to save us time but rather to save you money in your personal injury case.
Always make sure you have the medical records and the itemized billing statements for each date of service related to your injury from each facility. Helping your personal injury attorney in this way will assist in moving your case closer to resolution, reduce expenses, and ultimately put more of the recovery in your pocket.
Having an experienced Personal Injury Attorney in Jackson, MS is essential for getting you the compensation you deserve. If you’ve been injured in a car wreck, slip and fall, or any other personal injury due to another person’s negligence in the Mississippi area, the experienced attorneys at Chhabra & Gibbs are here to help. We believe in doing everything in our power to deliver you the results you deserve, and will be by your side every step of the way when dealing with the insurance company. Contact an experienced Mississippi Personal Injury attorney today at our office by calling 601-948-8005 or by using our live chat on our website.