Emergency room medical record review – vital in personal injury claim settlement

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Emergency Room Medical Record Review – Vital in Personal Injury Claim Settlement Medical records and medical bills are the most important evidences when it comes to personal injury claims. Lawyers involved in personal injury lawsuits need to evaluate these valuable evidences to find out whether a claim is a valid one. Detailed medical record review involves a scrupulous analysis of the medical issues in a claim. Such reviews are helpful to attorneys in terms of the valuable time and money saved.

In a personal injury case involving a vehicle accident, the evaluation of medical issues begins with the review of the emergency room records and the notes made by the rescue squad.

The information the claimant may have filled out in writing or told an attending healthcare professional after the injury is also important when reviewing the patient’s medical records. An attorney with limited knowledge regarding medical terminology and medical procedures and his/her office staff may be wasting valuable time if they choose to review the medical records inhouse. Professional medical review service is advisable because such seasoned reviewers will ensure that lawyers and attorneys are not surprised in the courtroom or during case settlement discussions by the sudden emergence of some damaging evidence in the medical records.

Medical Record Review for Emergency Room Records In vehicle injury cases, there may be rescue squads involved who may have taken the patient to the emergency room. Once the rescue squad and ER records are obtained, reviewers would first look at the rescue squad records to understand the course of events http://www.mosmedicalrecordreview.com/

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before the patient’s admission to the ER. This would provide valuable data such as the nature of the patient’s injuries, whether the patient had used a seat belt, and whether an airbag was deployed which caused some kind of injury to the patient. These records would also provide details regarding the car and its parts such as steering wheel, seats and windshield and whether these had contributed to the injuries acquired by the patient. Experienced medical record reviewers would also look for data pertaining to the plaintiff’s activities at the scene of injury, the treatment provided on the way to the ER such as administration of oxygen, and whether any photos were taken by the rescue squad.

As regards the emergency room records, the patient’s history and physical records that may be available will be reviewed for a clear understanding of the patient’s medical condition. Other important information a reviewer will look for in ER medical record review includes: • The person who attended to the patient first such as a triage nurse, before the patient was admitted to the ER. • When the patient was admitted to the ER. The important thing here is whether the admission was on the same day as the accident or whether it was delayed; and also whether any reason is indicated for the delay.

• How the patient was brought to the hospital, whether by a rescue squad or by some other means of transportation.

• If the patient was brought to the ER by a rescue squad, the records would be studied to find out whether the patient’s complaints tally with those recorded by the squad.

• Evidence provided by imaging records, and also whether these are in keeping with the patient’s complaints.

• Whether the X-rays were checked by a radiologist after they were read by the ER physician.

• Evidence of chronic medical conditions. http://www.mosmedicalrecordreview.com/

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• Whether there is any report of loss of consciousness at the accident site.

• Details regarding regular medications such as narcotics and sedatives that may cause drowsiness.

• Evident signs of alcohol consumption and blood alcohol level (each state may have a specific legal definition of intoxication) • Evidence of drug use; it is important to determine whether the patient was given any narcotics in the ER. • Attending nurses’ observation notes related to the injury.

• Discharge summary details. Here the reviewer has to clarify whether any discharge instructions provided were oral or written and whether the patient signed to the effect that instructions were provided.

• Any prescriptions given and the type of medications.

What the Professional Touch Is All About Professionalism matters when reviewing emergency room and other medical records because an experienced medical reviewer will not miss even the minutest detail that may escape the scrutiny of a medically untrained person. For instance, a person experienced in reviewing medical records would be on the lookout for objective findings in the emergency room records. These include findings that are definitive and cannot be manipulated by the patient. This touch of professionalism is of immense benefit to attorneys involved in personal injury, workers’ compensation and other such medical litigation because comprehensive medical reviews give them a clear understanding of each case. They can work on a solid foundation of evidence that will facilitate easy understanding of the plaintiff’s injuries. Accurate information gathered from the medical records will help attorneys validate or disprove injury claims. http://www.mosmedicalrecordreview.com/

1-800-670-2809