| If you have been injured in a car accident or | | | | that he will be gathering records related to the |
| bitten/attacked by a dog in Virginia, then you | | | | injuries you sustained in the accident at issue, but |
| must read this article before you sign any | | | | he will also be looking through as much of your |
| documents for an insurance company. | | | | medical history as possible to find notations of |
| I used to work exclusively for insurance | | | | prior similar injuries or other accidents. |
| companies and I know that this information will | | | | One of the insurance industry's favorite tactics in |
| help "level the playing field" by giving you the | | | | denying or minimizing personal injury claims is to |
| knoweldge you will need to more effectively | | | | point to other accidents or injuries you have |
| battle the insurance company you are facing! | | | | sustained in the past as being the cause of your |
| So let's get started... | | | | current medical treatment. |
| During the first conversation you have with an | | | | The insurance professionals opposing you in this |
| insurance professional for the driver of the vehicle | | | | process are trained investigators who know how |
| that hit you or the owner of the dog that hurt | | | | to read medical records and they will search as |
| you, you will very likely be asked to sign a Medical | | | | far and as wide as possible to find any record of |
| Authorization or Release, which will allow that | | | | treatment you underwent in the past. |
| insurance company to go to your doctors, | | | | They will also go to any length in their attempts |
| dentists, hospitals, etc., and get every piece of | | | | to link unrelated prior injuries to your current |
| medical information in their files. | | | | situation. |
| However, the insurance adjuster will phrase his | | | | For example, I recall a case in which the insurance |
| request like this: "We need you to sign this | | | | adjuster asked a nice lady if she had ever |
| document so that we can keep track of your | | | | experienced back pain before the accident and |
| medical treatment and keep enough money in | | | | the lady replied that she had not. |
| reserve to make sure that we can pay your | | | | The insurance adjuster then refused to offer this |
| claim." | | | | lady a fair settlement because the adjuster had |
| (While it is true that insurance companies are | | | | found evidence of prior complaints of back pain in |
| under certain requirements to keep adequate | | | | the lady's medical records related to her past |
| "monetary reserves" to cover existing claims, you | | | | pregnancy! |
| can be sure of two things: 1) the adjuster has no | | | | Remember, the adjusters will use these Medical |
| intention of paying you those "reserves" | | | | Authorizations or Releases to review every bit of |
| voluntarily; and 2) he wants that signed "Medical | | | | your medical history, including gynecological and |
| Authorization" to find evidence to help him deny | | | | psychological records. |
| your claim.) | | | | Nothing is off limits if you sign away your rights |
| The insurance adjuster will lead you to believe | | | | to keep your medical history private! |