Immediately after an injury, a person injured by medical malpractice is typically not thinking about how best to maintain their records to increase the odds of a favorable recovery. Their main focus is typically on the pain they are suffering, the shock of a significant life change, or, unfortunately, the death of a loved one. In the days and weeks that follow, there are several important actions that an injured person or her family can do to significantly increase the chances of a speedy and favorable recovery.
Requesting medical records is a usual course of business in medical malpractice and general personal injury practice. The process of getting a proper copy of medical records and bills costs money and takes time. Particularly with medical malpractice, proper documentation can also assist in evaluating precisely what form of medical malpractice occurred.
Therefore, it is important that an injured plaintiff or her family maintain a file of communications received from the respective doctors’ offices, hospitals, insurance companies, and others related to the injury. Furthermore, it is important to write down the names, dates, and phone numbers (or other contact information) of persons who contact an injured person regarding the injury. Even if the file is not complete, maintaining communications from providers will give the medical malpractice attorney a wealth of information.
Finally, an injured person should take photographs of injuries, wounds, scars, and other relevant things immediately after an injury is suffered. Documenting injuries and keeping a journal about the events significantly benefit a plaintiff’s case.
