https://www.davidblackwelllaw.com/
803-285-0225
Lancaster, SC and Indian Land, SC

Should I Sign a Medical Authorization for the Insurance Company?

One of the questions we’re often asked is, should I sign a medical authorization for the insurance company? And generally, the answer is no if you are significantly injured and you’re going to hire a lawyer. Let them handle that. If you sign a medical authorization, try and make sure that it’s limited to the medical care you get for the wreck that you are in and nothing else.

You may eventually be required to give permission to the insurance company to get past medical records in cases where, let’s say, that you injure your shoulder, and you’ve injured your shoulder five years earlier. They may have the right to get that. So, you may have to extend that authorization to cover similar injuries from the past. If you broke your foot, however, five years ago, and in this particular wreck, you’re dealing with a shoulder injury, then that really doesn’t have any relevance, and they really don’t need to be getting that record from you or from a medical provider.

If you treated with a counselor or a psychologist or a psychiatrist, and you’re not claiming emotional injuries, that’s really something that I would prefer in advising you that you do not offer up to the insurance company. They really don’t need a record of that. That’s more personal in nature. It has nothing to do with your physical injuries. I simply would not give them that. If you need anything, need to run any questions past this in the future, give us a call.