Massachusetts Personal Injury and Workers' Compensation Law Blog
If you’ve been in an accident, an insurance adjuster will most likely contact you. Besides being nice to you, the adjuster will want you to sign a medical authorization form. This will allow the insurance company to obtain not only medical records related to the accident, but also medical records that predate the accident. You don’t have to sign this document.
The adjuster has no legal authority to require you to sign ANY medical authorization form. All she wants to do is to use these pre-accident records against you. She will argue that the injuries you claim to have suffered in this accident are pre-existing.
The insurance adjuster’s main goal is to get your case settled as quickly as possible before you get a chance to even consult with an attorney. This happens all the time to unsuspecting people. The insurance adjuster will pressure you to sign a release which will end the case. The release is an official legal document. It is a contract. It is an agreement which states in exchange for the insurance company paying you a sum of money, the case will be closed, forever.
NEVER EVER SIGN THIS DOCUMENT.
You May Be Tempted to Sign This Document in Exchange For Some Quick Cash
Let’s say you slip and fall and your back is starting to hurt. The insurance company is offering you $1,500 to settle the case now. The adjuster likely says “You don’t need a lawyer, they are a waste of money.” At the time that sounds good to you. You therefore agree to sign the release and accept the small settlement. But the pain you feel from the accident is still not better. In fact the pain may in fact be getting worse. You want to reopen the case, but quickly learn the release ended the case. In fact, you may discover you need more medical treatment. You can’t go back for more money if the case is settled. You are out of luck.
The Release Ends The Case. So, NEVER SIGN THE RELEASE!
The adjuster, after they have tricked you and gained your trust as discussed in Chapter 2, now have suckered you into closing out the case for short money. The pressure was so strong, you felt like you had no time to hire an attorney. You fell into their trap hook, line, and sinker. They tricked you into not getting a lawyer because they know very well that once you hire an attorney, they will have to pay out to you FAIR COMPENSATION. For an insurance company, that is the absolute last thing they want to do. Don’t fall for these traps, or any others.