In cases where you have suffered an injury in an automobile accident, you’ll have to apply for accident benefits through your insurance company. You need to be careful when filling out forms, because the insurance company many use any information you have used against you, to try and deny your claims. The insurance company for the other driver will likely also eventually have access to these records, and will try and review them to see if there is anything that can be used to hurt your case.
To guide you in filling out the benefits form, here are three important things you must know about the process.
Permission to Disclose Health Information Form
One mistake that many people make after an accident is to give their insurance company full and unimpeded access to their health information. The Permission to Disclose Health Information Form is a document within the Ontario Accident Benefits package. If you plan to hire a lawyer, you should never fill out this form. Doing so will give the insurance company access to your private medical records at their discretion, including for periods of time they should not be entitled to. Doing so would not only be a violation of your privacy but could also hurt your case.
If your insurance company requests medical records, it is best to consult with a lawyer first. Your lawyer can help you figure out what medical records the insurance company is entitled to, over what time period.
Keep all Receipts
The Ontario Accident Benefits Package also includes a document called Application for Expenses. We recommend not only filling out this form, but also keeping the receipts related to these expenses so that you will have evidence the expense is incurred. If you cannot claim compensation through your non fault benefits, you will need the receipt in your claim against the other driver. It’s important that you work with a personal injury lawyer to go over all of your expenses and to fill out the Application for Expenses for to ensure you receive full compensation for expenses related to your accident.
Call SG Injury Law at (613) 518-2416 for a free consultation, or fill out this form.