Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
If you have experienced injury, due to the negligence of a healthcare provider than you may have grounds for a legitimate medical malpractice lawsuit. Medical malpractice claims are hard to solve because there has to be substantial proof that there was a medical error occurred and that is what caused the personal injury. Since it’s often hard to prove negligence malpractice lawyers are extremely selective in the case that they decide to review and pursue. You should be well prepared when meeting when an attorney.
Meeting With A Medical Malpractice Lawyer
The first thing any decent medical malpractice attorney will want to hear is the facts of the case. Often times, people are eager to go into detail about their injury and pain. Although, this information is helpful and sets the tone for the case; actual documentation needs to be provided to determine the strength of your case.
So before heading to your consultation with an attorney you should an organized file of everything related to your malpractice claim. Here is some information that you should bring with you during a meeting:
– Test results and medical records
– Clear photographs showcasing your injuries
– Receipts of relevant medical bills
– Letters that you have received from the treating hospital, or healthcare provide, this also includes letters sent to you from the risk management department
– Your personal notes on the progression of your injuries or relevant information pertaining to your condition
– If you’ve sent letters to the hospital or healthcare facility informing them of injuries related to the medical care they provided; those should also be included in you file.
Medical Records
Whether you have a strong case or not depends largely on what your medical records reveal. A medical malpractice attorney will want to thoroughly review your medical records when deciding whether they are interested in taking the case. California state federal privacy laws prohibits third parties from accessing medical records. So you’ll have to grant your attorney permission to access your medical records by signing a release form with your physician or hospital. You can also request your medical records for yourself and make copies of the paperwork.
To gain access to your own medical records you will have to follow standard protocol and submit a formal request for records. You’ll have to provide information such as:
– Your full name
– Date of birth
– Social security number or patient id number if one is available
You can request important medical records like:
– X-Ray results
– MRI films and reports
– History of your vaccinations
– Records of medications prescribed while in the treating facility and prescriptions you were sent home with
– Test results
– Billing and payment information
– Notes that were entered into the system
Providing your attorney with wide array of medical records and documentations will aid in helping them build a solid case. Remember, that processing and studying the documentation will take some time, so avoid rushing your attorney.