I have had a couple of people contact me lately and tell me that they were trying to settle their cases without hiring an attorney. But, they were confused. The adjuster refused to settle without them signing a medical authorization and they did not know why.
When you are claiming injuries in a car accident, slip and fall or some other type of accident, you need to prove your personal injury claim. How do you prove that you were injured? Medical records. How do you prove your treatment? Medical records. If you have been in an auto accident and are claiming a back injury or “whiplash,” then the medical records will prove your claim.
But, and there is always a but, you do not have to give them access to your entire medical history. So, you do not want to sign a medical authorization. You want to get your medical records, and bills, and provide them to the adjuster. If you would rather have the insurance company incur that expense, you can sign an authorization limited to your records for the body parts injured or limited to a time frame, like the last 10 years.
The problem with signing a broad medical authorization is that you are then giving them access to your entire medical history. And everyone has things in their medical history that are private.
The moral: give the adjuster any medical records that prove your claim. But do not sign a broad medical authorization.