Should I Sign the Medical Authorization Release?

If you were recently injured in an accident, soon you will most likely be dealing with the at-fault party’s insurance company. Naturally, there will be some paperwork involved. When you receive documents from the other side’s insurance company, one of them will be titled “authorization” or “release,” and there will be a spot for your signature. Your first response may be, “I guess I have to sign all of these documents right away,” but not so fast. Before you sign anything from the at-fault party’s insurance company, it’s important that you understand exactly what it is that you’re signing.

What is the Medical Authorization Release and what is its function? By signing this form, you’re giving the other side’s insurance company the authorization (green light) to dig into your very personal health and medical history.

How the Medical Authorization Release Can Hurt You

When it comes to obtaining a personal injury settlement from the at-fault party’s insurer, the nature and extent of your injuries will determine how much compensation you receive. That being said, why would the insurance company be interested in your medical records (past and present)? If the insurance company can reduce or deny your claim by blaming your injuries on a “previous medical condition or injury,” they save money, sometimes tens of thousands. Once an insurance company gets their hands on a plaintiff’s personal medical history, what happens next is they scour through the person’s records to find anything that may weaken the person’s claim.

For example, if a plaintiff suffered from headaches after a car accident and the insurance company learned that the plaintiff complained about migraines to their doctor sometime before the accident, the insurance company could try to use that information to reduce the plaintiff’s claim. So, if you received documents from the other side’s insurance company, you should speak with a personal injury attorney from our firm BEFORE you sign a medical authorization.

Looking for a Long Island personal injury attorney to file a claim for compensation? Call us today to request a free consultation!