Medical Records vs. Medical Reality: What Every Auto Accident Lawyer in New York Looks for in a Personal Injury Claim

After a car accident, your injuries are only as good as the paper trail they are recorded with. Even if you are injured, if your medical records do not record that reality, your personal injury claim hangs in the balance. As an experienced auto accident lawyer in New York would substantiate, this misalignment is too common. Patients will show up with obvious injuries and months of agony, but their records inadequately reflect their experience. Understanding the gap between clinical reporting and true effect is critical to constructing a strong personal injury case.

The Gap Between Pain and Documentation

Medical records are generally the gold standard in personal injury cases. Insurance adjusters, defense attorneys, and even judges use them to determine the extent of your injuries. But the catch is: these records are only good as long as what gets noted down at every visit.

It’s also not surprising that individuals who are involved in an accident downplay their symptoms at first. Maybe they don’t want to be a drama queen, or perhaps they assume it will leave. This leads to underreporting, and if what the physician documents is “mild discomfort” instead of “severe back pain,” it can minimize your claim significantly, even though the actual condition is a lot worse.

This is why a seasoned car accident lawyer in Manhattan will recommend that clients to be truthful, consistent, and thorough in describing symptoms to health care providers.

Delayed Treatment Will Damage Your Case

Delayed treatment is another problem that comes up fairly often.  Most accident victims try to “tough it out” or wait until the pain is totally unbearable before they are brought in to be examined by a doctor.  Delayed treatment will be successfully defended against in court.  Insurance companies would say that if you were injured, you would have received immediate medical care.

What Lawyers Look For in Medical Records

When reviewing a case of personal injury, attorneys never focus on the diagnostic codes only. A competent New York car accident lawyer would analyze the course of treatment, continuity of symptoms, specialty referrals, physical therapy documentation, and pattern of recovery.

They also look for missing information. Was your doctor not ordered to have an MRI when your complaints suggested a disc injury? Were serious complaints left out of your record? These omissions need to be filled in a timely manner, either with follow-up care or referral to a specialist.

At times, they are even able to work with physicians to create narrative reports outlining the severity of your case in language the courts and insurance companies will deem acceptable.

Medical Reality Must Match Legal Strategy

Injury victims can believe that the pain is enough. But the law court operates in black and white, not in guesses. So it is more crucial than ever that you coordinate your medical treatment with your case. If you are injured in a motor vehicle accident, if that is in Manhattan, Brooklyn, or somewhere else in NYC, seek medical attention immediately, and complete all of the treatment your physician instructs you to receive.

A skilled Manhattan or car accident lawyer in Brooklyn can help bridge the gap between what you perceive and what it looks like. They ensure your medical records truly depict the reality of your injuries, because that is the only way to get the compensation you deserve.