Short Answer

You usually authorize your lawyer by signing a written medical records release that allows your health care provider to send records and billing information to the law firm. The authorization should identify you, the provider, the records requested, who may receive them, the purpose, an expiration date or event, and your signature. In a North Carolina injury claim, the records should be requested carefully because medical documentation affects both settlement review and any deadline-sensitive lawsuit decision.

What Your Authorization Does

After a car accident, your medical records help show what treatment you received, when you received it, what symptoms were documented, and what charges were billed. Because medical information is private, a provider normally will not send those records to your lawyer just because the lawyer asks. The provider usually needs your written permission.

That permission is commonly called a medical authorization, HIPAA release, records release, or consent to release health information. In plain English, it tells the provider: this law firm represents me for an injury claim, and I authorize you to send my records and related documentation to the firm.

Federal privacy rules also give patients rights to access medical records. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides official guidance on a patient’s right to access health information under HIPAA access rules. For a personal injury claim, the practical issue is making sure the provider receives a clear, signed authorization that matches the records your lawyer is requesting.

Information the Release Should Include

A useful medical authorization should be specific enough that the provider can process it without delay. Most releases include:

• Your full legal name and any prior name the provider may have used.
• Your date of birth and other identifying information requested by the provider.
• The provider or facility authorized to release records.
• The law firm or attorney authorized to receive records.
• The accident or date range involved, such as records from the crash date through the end of treatment.
• The types of records requested, including office notes, imaging reports, discharge instructions, referrals, itemized bills, and payment records when relevant.
• The purpose of the request, such as evaluation and handling of a personal injury claim.
• An expiration date or event.
• Your signature and date.

Some providers have their own release form. Others will accept a law firm’s authorization if it contains the required information. If a provider rejects the form, the issue may be a missing date, unclear date range, incomplete patient information, electronic signature rule, or facility-specific requirement.

Steps to Authorize Your Lawyer After Treatment Ends

If you completed treatment with the provider after the crash, the records request process is usually straightforward, but details matter. A common process looks like this:

1. Confirm the provider list. Tell your lawyer every facility, clinic, therapy office, pharmacy, imaging center, and billing company involved in the post-crash care.
2. Sign the authorization. Review the release to confirm that it names the correct provider and law firm and describes the correct accident-related time period.
3. Ask for records and bills. For an injury claim, records alone may not be enough. Itemized bills and payment information often matter too.
4. Let the law firm send the request. Your lawyer can usually send the signed authorization with a records request letter to the provider.
5. Track missing items. Providers may send only part of the chart. Follow-up may be needed for imaging reports, billing ledgers, referrals, or later visit notes.

For more detail about the types of documents that may support a car accident injury claim, Wallace Pierce Law has also published a related guide on medical records and other evidence after a car accident.

Records and Bills Are Not the Same Thing

One common mistake is asking only for treatment notes. Treatment records can show diagnosis, complaints, exam findings, referrals, and discharge instructions. Billing records show charges, adjustments, payments, balances, and sometimes insurance coding information.

For a North Carolina personal injury claim, your lawyer may need both. A complete request may ask for:

• Provider visit notes and discharge summaries.
• Emergency department records, if any.
• Imaging reports and related documentation.
• Referral records and follow-up instructions.
• Physical therapy or rehabilitation notes, if applicable.
• Itemized bills, not just balance statements.
• Payment ledgers showing health insurance payments, adjustments, and remaining balances.
• Prescription expense documentation, if related to the crash.

North Carolina law also addresses certain charges for copying medical records. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-411 allows health care providers to charge record copy fees within stated limits for many requests. In practice, fees, portals, outside copy services, and provider procedures can affect how long records collection takes.

Be Careful With Broad Insurance Company Releases

Authorizing your own lawyer to obtain records is different from signing a broad release for an insurance company. An insurer may ask for permission to collect medical records directly. Sometimes the request is reasonable; sometimes it is broader than needed for the claim.

Before signing a release for an insurer, it is wise to understand what it covers. Consider whether it allows access to unrelated providers, years of prior records, mental health records, substance-use records, or information that is not connected to the crash. This does not mean you should hide relevant medical history. It means the authorization should be understood before it is signed.

Your lawyer may instead gather the records, review them for completeness, and provide relevant documentation in an organized claim package. That process can reduce confusion caused by incomplete records, duplicate bills, or documents that do not match the accident timeline.

North Carolina Timing Issues Still Matter

Getting medical records can take time. Providers may use outside vendors, require facility-specific forms, or ask for corrected information. If a claim is close to a deadline, waiting on records does not automatically protect your rights.

For many North Carolina personal injury claims, N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-52 provides a three-year deadline for certain injury and property-damage lawsuits. Claim discussions with an insurance adjuster, requests for records, and settlement negotiations do not automatically extend the time to file a lawsuit. Different rules can apply to different claims, so timing should be reviewed promptly.

How This Applies to the Stated Situation

Here, the injured person completed treatment with the provider after a car accident, and the law firm is trying to obtain treatment records and related documentation for the injury claim. The practical next step is usually for the client to sign a clear authorization naming that provider and allowing the provider to send the complete treatment chart, itemized bills, and payment records to the law firm.

If treatment is complete, the date range can often run from the crash date through the final visit with that provider. If the provider saw the client before the crash for related body parts or similar symptoms, the lawyer may need to discuss whether some prior records are also relevant. The goal is to document the claim accurately while avoiding unnecessary or overly broad disclosure.

Helpful Items to Gather While Records Are Requested

While the law firm waits for provider records, you can help by gathering documents that are often difficult to reconstruct later:

• Provider names, addresses, phone numbers, and patient portal information.
• Visit summaries or discharge papers you received.
• Receipts for prescriptions or medical supplies related to the crash.
• Health insurance explanation-of-benefits forms.
• Any letters from medical billing companies or collection agencies.
• Photos of injuries, vehicle damage, or damaged personal property, if available.
• The crash report, claim number, and adjuster contact information.
• Copies of any medical release forms you have already signed.

You do not need to organize everything perfectly before asking for help. Even a simple list of providers and dates can make the records request process easier.

When Wallace Pierce Law May Be Able to Help

Wallace Pierce Law may be able to help a Durham injury claimant identify which providers need records requests, prepare medical authorizations, request complete records and itemized bills, and follow up when providers send incomplete documentation. The firm can also review whether the records match the treatment timeline and help organize the documentation for the injury claim.

This process does not guarantee a settlement or any specific outcome. It can, however, help make sure the claim is supported by the documents the insurer or opposing party will likely ask to review.

Talk to a Personal Injury Attorney in Durham

If your question involves injuries, insurance, fault, medical documentation, settlement paperwork, or a possible deadline, speaking with a licensed North Carolina attorney can help clarify your options. Call 919-313-2737 to discuss what happened and what steps may make sense next.

Disclaimer: This article provides general information about North Carolina personal injury law based on the single question stated above. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. It is not medical advice, tax advice, or insurance policy interpretation. Laws, procedures, and local practice can change and may vary by county. If there may be a deadline, act promptly and speak with a licensed North Carolina attorney.