As the largest workers’ compensation law firm in Ohio, NRS Injury Law has leveraged industry expertise and proprietary team processes to deliver results for its clients.
The internal processes developed and refined by the firm give every client the best chance to recover what is deserved and allowed by the state of Ohio. One such process established by the firm to represent clients effectively is the collection of medical records.
An injured worker needs proof and access to their medical records to secure compensation for a workplace injury, which is why NRS Injury Law established the Medical Records Team.
Why Medical Records Collection is Critical
“Naturally, when a worker is injured, the first step is for them to get medical care,” says Lacey Krizman, Senior Workers’ Compensation Manager.
“They’ll go to an ER, primary care doctor, or urgent care to receive treatment for the injury, which creates a record of that interaction,” Krizman continued. “Those records will have the name of the attending physician, details of when the injury happened, and information about the injury and what diagnosis/treatment(s) were done during the visit. Essentially, any time there is contact with someone within the medical sector, there should be a record created of it.”
Medical records are essential to workers’ compensation cases because they provide critical evidence that the worker was injured and that the extent of the injuries and their effects on the worker are consistent with the worker’s statement in their compensation claim.
Medical records are closely scrutinized by all parties involved in a workers’ compensation case, as they serve as the primary medical evidence that the worker was harmed in the course of their workplace duties. The more thorough, clear, chronicled, organized, and detailed the records, the better.
Why NRS Injury Law Established a Medical Records Team
According to Krizman, NRS Injury Law established the Medical Records Team as a means to expedite workers’ compensation cases and increase the likelihood of success for injured workers. “Our attorneys were putting in requests at hospitals for our clients’ medical records, but hospitals were pushing back saying they needed 30 days for processing, and sometimes it was 60, even 90 days plus before we’d get records back,” Krizman said.
“A lot can happen in 90 days,” Krizman added.
Krizman went on to demonstrate how the absence of medical records in a compensation case can hinder its progress, delay hearings, impede attorney strategies, and generally complicate an already complex and nuanced legal process.
“We put together a team of our best talent in our Legal Assistance department,” said Krizman. “And we teamed up with Arctrieval, an organization that specializes in pulling medical records.”
Thanks to the establishment of the Medical Records Team, NRS Injury Law can secure medical records of injured workers in 1-2 weeks as opposed to 30-90+ days. The result? Attorneys can build their legal strategies more effectively, and cases can proceed more swiftly.
“From time to time, hearings aren’t even necessary,” Krizman added. “With our new approach, we’re getting medical records much faster, and the records are more thorough. Sometimes, hearing officers just look at the records and approve the claim, as the records will show the case is an incredibly cut-and-dry workers’ compensation claim.”
What Medical Records Collection Looks Like
The NRS Injury Law Medical Records Team works tirelessly to procure medical records for injured workers. Still, injured workers can take several steps on their end to make the record collection process go even more smoothly, which is ultimately to their benefit in an injured workers’ compensation case.
In fact, injured workers can take full responsibility for providing their medical records to their legal team, which may reduce the firm’s fee. Krizman added the following:
- Track your medical visits – “We need the date, time, and place of your visits.”
- Document the date and name of all doctor visits, along with the facility name and address
- Keep a running record of your treatments – “Be sure to obtain the records for EACH visit.”
- Obtain the records to prove treatments were done
- X-rays, MRIs, EMGs, surgeries, follow-up visits, physical therapy sessions, chiropractic care, etc
- Share information with NRS Injury Law – “Your medical information builds our case strategy.”
- The records and information are used to paint an accurate portrait of the case, which will in turn help our attorneys build a compelling argument for the reasons an injured worker deserves compensation
Advice for Ohio Workers: Be Proactive
What about workers who haven’t yet been injured? There is much that workers can do to ensure that if they do become injured, their medical records collection process goes smoothly during their claim. As a general rule, Krizman advises that all Ohio workers, including those who haven’t been injured, see doctors frequently for check-ups, routine physicals, blood work, the treatment of pre-existing conditions, and that they stay current on any medications they’re taking.
“Opposing counsel and the employer can request up to ten years of medical records before the workplace injury,” Krizman said in closing. “So it’s not just about the medical care one gets during and after an injury. Keeping one’s ‘medical house’ in order throughout their life is just a good practice for all workers to follow, because workers need to be able to show that they are seeking medical care when needed and keeping records of it.”
NRS Injury Law wins cases every day through its team-focused approach. As another piece of advice, Krizman added that clients should trust the process and be a part of our team. The Medical Records Team, along with the legal team, is working hard to secure the records needed to build a winning case. The client’s efforts in providing the team with information and records go a long way in helping the firm secure compensation for the client. (Sometimes, helping the team can be as easy as granting them access to a patient portal or making a short call to a doctor’s office).
The medical records that clients provide to their attorneys will play a critical role in a workers’ compensation case; hence, the importance of obtaining accurate records. For questions about workplace injuries and work-related illnesses and to learn about worker injury claims and the rights of injured workers in Ohio, call 855-GOT-HURT or fill out a convenient Online Contact Form.
Disclaimer: The information in this blog post (“post”) is provided for general informational purposes only and may not reflect the current law in your jurisdiction. No information contained in this post should be construed as legal advice, nor is it intended to be a substitute for legal counsel on any subject matter. No reader of this post should act or refrain from acting based on any information included in or accessible through this post without seeking the appropriate legal or other professional advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from a lawyer licensed in the recipient’s state, country, or other appropriate licensing jurisdiction.
