SettlementCentral.com

The Online Resource for Personal Injury Claims 

Issue 6

In this issue

January 2004

• Documenting your pain
• Getting the right information to your doctor
• How to correct your medical records

Settle it Yourself Newsletter

Hello!!  Welcome to the January edition of Settlement Central’s Newsletter.  We hope that all of you have a truly wonderful and safe new year!  We are pleased to share this newsletter with you, as our business is helping people get satisfactory settlements for their personal injury claims. 

As more time is spent on rainy, snowy, and icy roads in the winter, it is important that we are as prepared for the unexpected as possible.  Download our Car Accident Form now   to assist in preparation for any unforeseen accidents.

In this month’s issue, we will discuss your medical records.  It is most important for your medical records to portray an accurate description of your injuries in order to get the highest monetary amount for your personal injury claim.

Thank you for your interest in our site; we hope you will find us to be an excellent source for your own personal injury needs!!

Jeanine Steele
Publisher, Settle it Yourself Newsletter

Managing Your Medical Records

Ever notice how easy it is to ignore little aches and pains because you are suffering more somewhere else?  By the time these “little pains” become severe enough to report, your doctor may have questions about tying the pain to the accident. 

Maybe you are seeing your doctor for neck pain and headaches.  You first notice a little soreness in your lower back three weeks after the accident.  Let’s say the soreness continues to worsen gradually, especially after some physical activities.  But you never mentioned it to your doctor, thinking that it is due to the strain of bowling or lawn mowing, or a long drive.  In truth though, this is a frequent way soft tissue damage manifests itself. 

Because of this, it is MOST important to mention any reoccurring aches or pains to your doctor, even if you believe that this ache was not caused by the accident.  We recommend that you keep a daily pain journal to record any symptoms that may be appearing.

The next step in managing your medical care is to make sure that your doctor records the correct information at the time he is seeing you.  Make him slow down and make him understand your circumstances.  Do not let him do his usual song and dance of moving in and through an appointment in less than 36 seconds!  Seriously, it is your job to make the doctor slow down and to take the time to understand your case and your situation.  If he is not willing to do that, you need to consider getting a new doctor.    There is almost 100% guarantee that at some point in this process, you will find medical records that are in error.  They will be in error because they are incomplete, or because they are inaccurate or because they are just plain wrong or because they did not mention the information that he told you about your injuries and prognosis, etc.   

In this country, we treat medical records as secure evidence of examination and treatment.  So how can you correct the misinformation or provide an addendum to the information that is there?    Although the doctor will not change his records, you have every right to write him about his erroneous records and to insist that your letter be placed in the file next to the offending medical record.    Do not make your letter difficult for the doctor to accept.  Do not belittle him or his staff or anything about his efforts.  Be courteous and professional and be thorough.    Make the letter in a confirming tone, which is that you are simply confirming the information that the two of you previously discussed but which was omitted from the medical record. 

You will want to call the doctor’s staff about the error you have found and get their concurrence with your providing a brief response.  Again, as in the case of the letter to the doctor providing information to the file, simply make this call one of confirmation.

It is essential that you correct the record AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE.  Any time you have a chance to review your medical record, be sure you take the time to ensure it is thorough and accurate.    If you should find an inaccuracy, you must write a letter of correction without delay.  You can understand that if you delayed correction until such time as you were involved with settlement negotiations, your efforts will seem self-serving, and without merit.  On the other hand, if you correct the error right away, by the time the insurance adjuster receives the copy of his records along with your correction letter, it will appear that the correction effort was sincere and made in good faith.   

Want to learn more on managing your medical records?  SettlementCentral.com provides the following assistance to its members:

• Sample letters to your doctor correcting your medical records

• How to check the accuracy of your medical reports
• How to properly document missed appointments
• Getting it in writing from your doctor
• Downloadable personal pain diary
• Phone calls to the doctor’s office regarding medical records

To access this valuable information, please join now!

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About SettlementCentral.com

http://www.settlementcentral.com

SettlementCentral.Com, Inc. is a Washington corporation providing general educational information, online, to personal injury victims throughout the United States on how to manage their own personal injury claims through the settlement process - from gathering the necessary information (evidence) to submitting claims and demand letters through engaging in successful personal injury settlement negotiations with insurance companies. Our online instructions and self-help forms and letters are designed to make for easy insurance claims settlements in the areas of auto accidents, pedestrian accidents, dog bites, vicious animal bites, premises liability, and slip and fall accidents.

Contact Information

Your comments and suggestions are welcome!  Tell us what topics you would like to see discussed in this newsletter and we will do our best to bring you current useful information.  Write to us at: info@SettlementCentral.com