If you’re partially at fault for how the accident happened, there’s nothing even the most experienced attorney can do to help you. Since contributory negligence laws declare that you must be liable for your injury if you’re even 1% at fault, the insurance company will deny your claim, and the law is on their side. There’s also a chance that the other driver will plead a claim against you, and in those situations, you will have to work with the claims department of your insurer. An expert attorney would recommend that all clients use any medical coverage offered under their policy. It is generally recommended that clients purchase as much medical payment coverage as they can obtain under their policy. Usually, coverage is not expensive at all. For example, a $2,000 medical bill might cost $20 in a 6-month premium. Obtaining medical coverage helps pay for your doctor bills if you’re hurt in an accident, whether the accident was your fault or not. That way, you can at least get treatment if you’re injured in the accident. If you visit an emergency room and discover your injury requires any significantly expensive diagnostics, such as a CT Scan, you may very well end up with a $10,000 hospital bill.Due to the high cost of medical expenses and diagnostics, the priority is to receive as much medical payments coverage as possible. Obtaining the most coverage possible is most important whether or not you’re responsible for the accident at all.
The final critical point on being at fault in a car accident is verifying whether you have collision coverage or comprehensive coverage as an insurance benefit. Many people carry liability-only policies. In some cases, this may be a valid option. However, seeking collision coverage is usually the ideal option. If you have collision coverage, you may be eligible for property damage compensation.
Will The Insurance Company Have Access To My Past And Present Medical History And Treatments, And Could Any Of That Information Impact My Case?
The insurance company for the at-fault driver will ask you to sign authorizations granting them access to all your medical records and medical history. Without an attorney, you won’t be able to limit the authorizations to retrieve specific medical records. Consequently, the insurance company will use as much history as they want, and you won’t be informed of what they’re seeing. The medical history insurance companies can access may go back 10-15 years. If a lawsuit is filed, your attorney will work to protect your medical history from years past. They may or may not be entitled under law to access your medical history; it all depends on what your injuries are and what your medical history is. For instance, if you had a knee injury in an accident and had surgery on that knee ten years ago, odds are the judge allows the defense attorneys to access medical records going back to the original knee injury.
When someone claims to have an injury from an accident, they must put their medical history on the table. As a result, it becomes open for the insurance company and attorneys of either side to examine. Typically, you’re required to provide five years of medical history for any type of treatment in any kind of litigation. The content of medical records is significant because, for example, if you’re complaining about a back injury but already actively treating your back for another injury, it may discredit your claim. Thus, the details of your medical records and how your medical history may relate to the new injuries you are claiming are of the utmost consequence. An experienced attorney will limit the medical records we gather to strictly documents from the accident—submitting only those in support of resolving the claim.
Overall, be prepared in any claim that your medical history will be open to questioning.
For more information on Personal Injury Law In North Carolina, a free initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you seek by calling (919) 999-4462 today.
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