Medical records are very important when it comes to strengthening a personal injury lawsuit such as a slip and fall accident. Not only does it act as evidence of the injury, but it also shows that the incident was caused by another person. If you have experienced a tripping incident and sustained injuries, presenting your health documents after treatment will prove that you have suffered compensable damages.
Health documents entail every hospital correspondence from the first doctor’s visit to the last one. Therefore, obtaining your medical records in a slip and fall accident case will provide strong evidence for your case.
Evidence of your injuries
Important health documents such as the hospital documentation of your pain, the emergency room record, the diagnosis, and the doctor’s notes among others are strong evidence of the incident. Not only can these documents be used to estimate the recovery time but can also predict the future treatment you will need to fully recover.
Proof of damage
The healthcare reports can be used to form the legal basis of your personal injury case. Not only will they show your injuries, but also the type, severity, and the cause. If you don’t have such evidence, the liable parties like insurance companies may argue that you were never seriously injured even if you chose to skip treatment due to lack of finances or transportation issues.
Indication of what the case is worth
Your attorney can use your health care reports to calculate the financial impact you incurred while treating your injuries such as your treatment and ongoing therapy. The healthcare report will show the exact costs of surgeries, rehabilitation, hospital stays, prescriptions, and counseling, all of which can be factored into the compensation amount.
Shows the incident caused your injuries
The health reports can be used to show that you did not have any prior health complaints or injuries before the incident and that the wounds were directly caused by the tripping incident. On the other hand, if you had any pre-existing conditions, the health report will show that the tripping incident caused new injuries.
Helps to calculate the settlement
Your health reports will help your attorney and the defendants to calculate the appropriate compensation amount, including both financial and non-economic damages like chronic pain and mental anguish. Some examples of health documents you need for your case may include:
The doctor’s diagnosis
The diagnosis can help to increase your compensation amount, allow you to get support for ongoing complications, and even allow you to get reimbursed for non-economic damages such as mental trauma.
Hospital bills
These documents show paid health expenses, ongoing treatments, and future health expenses as well. These bills can entail surgery costs, blood tests, ambulance charges and x-rays, MRIs, and Cat Scans.
Conclusion
Health documents are strong legal evidence because they are quantifiable and accurate. They show a clear picture of your injuries and how they affect your life. Thus, you should provide all the documents about your test results, the health history, treatment, and any recommended appointments as well.