After you are hurt in an accident in Cornwall, expect the runs of documents from insurance companies sent to you. These documents may be the authorizations and releases. You must be aware of the paperwork before you strike your signatures on them. Remember, insurance companies are there for their own interests and profits. Think of your actions carefully! Hire an expert Cornwall personal injury lawyer and avoid the pitfalls.
Understanding The Forms:
1. Medical Authorization Release Form- This document is giving them the authority to dig deeper into someone’s personal medical and treatment records. By signing it, you are handing them such authority to know your personal medical history. The major factor in determining the extent of injury you are suffering is your treatment history. If the accident is due to someone else’s carelessness, the defendant’s insurer settles your medical and treatment costs (the past, present and future).
Consequences of Signing Medical Authorization Release
After you handed the authorization to the insurance company, they have the access to your prior health conditions before the accident. They will try to establish a fact that your present injury is in relation to your past illnesses and not due to the accident. Thus, they can reduce the value of your claim, or worse, deny it.
Additionally, they will study the doctor’s notes. The insurance adjuster will find out statements that you utter to the physician. Those notes could possibly contradict or an inconsistency to your claim. Commonly, other aches and pains appear after a couple of days after your hospital discharge and these may not be included in your doctor’s notes.
Moreover, they rummage around the number of past visits you made with your doctor. In their own point of view, a prior frequent visit to your physician is a sign of poor health. They will include you as an “eggshell client”. Meaning, you are fragile even before the accident that would discredit your claim, in return.
2. All Liability and Claims Release Form- After scribbling this form, you are granting the insurer to be off-the-hook. There is clear dissimilarity between a fair compensation and a minimal settlement.
Consequences in Signing All Liability and Claims Release Form
Several accident victims sign the release of liability without thinking of the bad consequences. Once you sign this document, the claim is closed and you cannot file further claims anymore. If discover later on that you have other injuries due to the accident, you cannot receive any further settlements. The Liability Release form is the final document to mark before releasing the compensation check. It further waives all your rights to bring the case into court.
What to Do Before Signing Insurance Companies’ Forms
It is understandable that accident victims want immediate financial help. Nevertheless, if you want to protect your interests and rights, do not sign any of the forms unless you consult a Cornwall personal injury lawyer. Sometimes, the insurers offer mini-tort releases wherein they enclose a waiver.
While it is common for aches and hurting to appear, and some minor injuries become serious ailments, documentations of your injuries is a must. You can still file further claims because you have not signed any of their forms. Your legal counsel will represent you and help you dismiss the insurer’s tactics. Your personal injury lawyer prepares the final release of your John Hancock.
Your Cornwall personal injury lawyer discusses authorizations and releases involving your accident claim. Most likely, an experienced Cornwall attorney will see to it that you get the maximum settlement possible.
Recent Comments