After being injured in a car accident in Arkansas, it is important to get medical care immediately. Not only is it important for your health, but your medical records will also be critical in supporting your car accident case later.
Even minor car accidents can generate many records. Regardless of the amount of medical treatment you received, we can help you obtain all your records from any medical professionals you attended in the course of your treatment. Your medical records help tell the story of how you were injured and the steps necessary to recover.
Call us today at (479) 316-0438 to speak with our Arkansas car accident attorneys and receive your free case review.
What Medical Records Will Help My Car Accident Case in Arkansas?
Medical records are one of the most important pieces of evidence in an Arkansas car accident lawsuit. These records will help to prove the extent of your injuries and whether or not you were injured at all by the accident in particular. They are useful for calculating the compensation you could potentially recover, as well as demonstrating that your injuries were not related to some other injury or condition but caused by this accident.
Ambulance and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Records
These records will include information about the call itself, including when it was received, where it happened, and who was involved. It will also include details about the condition of the patient at the time they were transported to the hospital. EMS records are important because they are typically the first piece of medical evidence in your case and include information made closest in time to when your accident occurred.
Emergency Room Records
Emergency room records will include notes from any medical professionals who examined you while you were in the emergency room, including doctors and nurses. These records are some of the most important in a car accident case as they will diagnose your injuries in detail and include the doctor’s conclusion that your injuries were caused by your current car accident. Our Rogers car accident attorneys will use these conclusions to prove that your injuries were caused by this car accident. Emergency room records will also contain instructions for further treatment your injuries will require.
Hospital Records
If you were admitted to the hospital in the course of treating your car accident injuries, these records will also be important to prove the severity of your injuries. Hospital records typically include details about what tests and procedures were performed on you while you were hospitalized as well as any further diagnoses made you during your stay.
Surgical Records
In car accident cases involving serious injuries, one or more surgeries might be necessary. Surgical records contain information about what procedures were performed on you, why you needed the surgery, steps to take during recovery, and any complications that developed afterward due to those surgeries, such as infections. These records will also illustrate the severity of your injuries and the seriousness of your car accident claim.
Diagnostic Testing Records
Diagnostic testing records include reports for tests such as MRIs, X-rays, and CT scans. These tests can show how badly you were hurt and whether you sustained internal injuries that were not immediately apparent after the crash. These tests can show fractured bones, damaged muscles, torn ligaments and tendons, damaged nerves, and many other hidden injuries. Diagnostic testing is usually conducted later during a patient’s treatment but is critical to proving that your injuries are as serious as they are claimed. If your doctor prescribes any diagnostic testing, you must be sure to attend or jeopardize your chances of recovering compensation.
Physical Therapy Records
Physical therapy records can help show that you were suffering from pain and disability caused by your accident which gave rise to significant medical bills. Physical therapy records typically contain information about how long it took to recover from your injuries, what exercises were prescribed, and whether they were successful in helping you return to normal activity levels. There are many different types of physical therapy, so it is important to obtain records from any medical professional that administered physical therapy, including chiropractic, physical, massage, acupuncture, and other therapies.
Chiropractic Records
Chiropractic care is particularly helpful because it is often used for treating whiplash injuries and back or neck problems caused by car accidents. Chiropractors often give detailed reports about how much treatment was needed and what problems were treated during each visit so that we can establish how long someone should reasonably expect to need treatment for their injuries following an auto accident. These records are vital in helping determine how much compensation you can likely pursue.
Prescription Medication Records
Prescriptions are often written after a doctor’s examination and diagnosis of a patient’s condition. Prescription medication records can be helpful because they show what medications you were taking before the accident. This can help show how much pain you were in before the accident and how much pain you had after it happened. Prescriptions for painkillers, antibiotics, or other medications that could affect the ability to safely drive a vehicle can help prove that your injuries were caused by someone else’s negligence.
Independent Medical Examinations
Independent medical exams are those performed by doctors who are usually not connected to anyone involved in your case. However, the doctor could be performing the independent exam on behalf of an insurance company, even if they do not directly work for them. In an Independent medical exam, the doctor will examine you and write a report containing their findings. The report will typically include information about the injuries you have suffered and whether they believe they were the result of the crash. If the report calls for it, they will offer opinions on which injuries are permanent and which are temporary. You should not consent to an independent medical exam without speaking with our team first as these records could be used against you in your case.
Records from Other Specialists
If you need treatment from another type of specialist such as an orthopedic surgeon or neurologist, then their records will also be helpful to your case. These specialists can perform tests on you or order additional diagnostic tests such as MRIs and X-rays, if necessary. Their findings could be used to support the conclusion that your injuries were caused by the car accident rather than something unrelated, like arthritis or osteoporosis.
Our Arkansas Car Accident Attorneys Can Help
For a free case assessment with our Fayetteville car accident lawyers, contact us at (479) 316-0438 today.