Accessing EMT Records For An Injury Claim
In personal injury cases, medical records play a critical role in establishing the extent of injuries, the cause of the accident, and damages and losses suffered by the victim. Sometimes the care from an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) is connected to other healthcare reports, in other instances they need to be accessed.
EMT records are vital to building a strong injury claim because they provide valuable details about the immediate medical response at the scene of the accident. If you received care from a Maryland EMT, talk to a Baltimore personal injury lawyer about how to gather those documents to support your injury claim.
Severity of Injuries and Documentation of a Timely Medical Response
Because emergency treatment is the first care provided to accident victims, EMT records typically contain detailed information about the victim’s condition at the time of the accident. This will include vital signs, observations about visible injuries, notations on how the injury was sustained, and initial assessments of the victim’s medical status. EMTs record all of this to establish the severity of injuries and their immediate impact on the victim’s health, and this information allows them to know which hospital the patient should go to next.
Not only can EMT records be vital in verifying the cause of the injuries and linking them directly to the accident, which is essential in proving liability, the reports also demonstrate that prompt medical attention was sought after the accident. Prompt medical care is particularly relevant in cases where an opposing party argues that the victim’s injuries were caused by another incident unrelated to the accident.
There are also situations where EMT records contain information from others who witnessed the accident. As first responders, EMTs could be the initial contact with individuals involved in the accident and others who simply were nearby when the accident occurred. Witness observations and assessments within EMT records can serve as crucial evidence that corroborates with an injured party’s account of the accident.
Identify the Responding Agency and Submitting a Request
The first step to obtaining Maryland EMT records after a Baltimore accident injury is to identify the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) agency that provided you with care. Often this information is available through the police report which will note if the provider was a local support or a private ambulance service.
A Baltimore personal injury lawyer can take the steps to identify the correct agency for you, and once they have that information they will draft and submit a written request for the EMT records associated with the accident. Obtaining EMT records may take time, particularly if the agency is processing numerous requests. An attorney will follow up with the agency to check on the status of your request and will work to ensure your privacy is protected throughout the process.
Could EMT records fortify your need for recovery? The legal team at Iamele & Iamele, LLP knows how to obtain EMT records and will carefully review them, taking note of any crucial information that could support your injury claim. Contact us to schedule a no-cost consultation.
