If you suffered a work injury in Arkansas, it is important to get medical care as soon as possible. Not only is this best for your health, it will also be critical to have records of your injuries if you attempt to recover compensation later.
Depending on the nature of your work injuries, you might have medical records from a number of providers. Fortunately, our experienced Arkansas work injury lawyers can help you obtain copies of your records to help prove your case. Your medical records will also be vital to assessing the value of your damages and distinguishing your current injuries from any past ones your suffered.
For a free case review with our Arkansas work injury attorneys, contact us at (479) 316-0438 today.
Do I Need to Provide Medical Records to Recover Compensation After a Work Injury in Arkansas?
To recover compensation for injuries caused at work in Arkansas, you will need to provide your medical records. Your medical records will show the extent of your injury, the treatment you received, and the expected duration of your recovery. With your medical records, our Arkansas work injury lawyers can determine the amount of compensation you are owed and whether you will need coverage for future treatments. Providing medical records is essential to any work injury case, whether you are filing a lawsuit or going through the Workers’ Compensation process.
Your medical records will typically come from numerous sources, depending on the treatment your injuries require. The most common medical records used to recover compensation include emergency room and hospital records, as well as ambulance and other emergency medical services records if you were transported to the hospital or firefighters responded to your accident and treated you. If your work injuries need surgery to repair, your surgical records will be an integral part of the evidence you submit supporting your case.
However, treatment does not typically stop at one hospital visit following a workplace accident. Many injured workers will need physical therapy, chiropractic care, prescription medications, and treatment from other specialists to heal properly. These records will be critical to showing the seriousness of your injuries and your efforts to address them. During treatment, you might generate records of diagnostic testing, like MRIs, X-rays, and CT scans.
It is important to note that you might also be required to undergo an independent medical examination at the request of your employer or insurance company to assess the extent of your injury. However, you can also obtain examination records by arranging for your own expert medical exam.
How Will My Medical Records Support My Arkansas Work Injury Case?
Your medical records serve a number of functions when attempting to recover compensation for a work injury in Arkansas. Not only do they prove what you are currently suffering from, but they can also help show that your injuries are not related to a pre-existing condition you sustained. They are also critical to calculating the value of your case.
Proving How Your Current Injuries Occurred
Medical records are critical to proving your injuries and how they occurred. When you are initially treated, your doctor will typically ask you many questions about what led up to your injuries and what happened after the accident. They will include this information in your final medical report and discharge papers, which will corroborate your testimony when your file for compensation later. In a work injury case, medical records are used to prove that your injury was caused by another person’s negligence, that your injuries were not pre-existing or self-inflicted, and that you did not make it up for fraudulent purposes. They will also include the doctor’s recommendation for further treatment and how long your injuries are likely to take to heal.
Determining the Value of Your Claim
Medical records are also extremely important in evaluating the value of a work injury claim because they provide evidence of what happened and how serious an injury was. Medical records can help your Bella Vista work injury attorney determine whether your injuries have permanently altered your life and if they will affect activities you previously enjoyed doing without limitations.
Much of the value of your claim will be determined by your medical expenses. But you are also entitled to non-economic damages, like physical pain and emotional suffering. Your medical records can help show the subjective impact your injuries have had since your doctor should include your mental state when they examine you.
Showing that Your Injuries Were Not Related to a Pre-Existing Condition
In addition to helping establish that your injuries are serious enough to warrant compensation, medical records can also help prove that your injuries were not related to a pre-existing condition or injury. In many cases, the responsible party will try to claim that your current injuries are related to past injuries or accidents and, thus, should not be compensated. Proving that your current injuries are not related to past ones can be very difficult if you have no medical documentation concluding that your current injuries were the result of the workplace accident for which you are now seeking compensation.
If you have medical records showing that you were in good health before the incident that caused your work injury, it will be easier for you to argue that your current injuries are related to the incident. They will also help eliminate the possibility for the employer or insurance company to argue that it was actually something else that caused your current injuries. The reason why this is important is that if they can prove that something else is responsible for your injuries, then they will not be responsible for paying damages on account of your injuries.
Who Can Be Held Liable for a Work Injury in Arkansas?
If you are injured on the job, your employer could be held liable for your injuries. Employers are also responsible for providing a safe environment and safe equipment to their employees. If they fail to do so, they could be held responsible.
Manufacturers are often held liable for injuries caused by defective products in the workplace. For example, if you are injured when you use a defective ladder or scaffolding which causes you to fall from an unsafe height, then the manufacturer or designer of the product can be held liable for your injuries.
Ordinary members of the public could also be responsible for causing your work injuries. For instance, if you were injured while making deliveries at work, you can use your medical records to show that the other driver caused your injuries.
Our Arkansas Work Injury Attorneys Can Help
Call us today at (479) 316-0438 to speak with our Fayetteville work injury lawyers and receive your free case consultation.