Short Answer

In North Carolina, your ambulance and hospital records usually do not go straight to the insurance adjuster automatically. They are typically submitted after you (or your attorney) signs medical-record authorizations, your attorney requests the records and bills from the providers, and then your attorney sends a curated set of records/bills to the adjuster as part of the claim package. If the insurer needs records directly from providers, it generally must have your written authorization (or a court order) to obtain them.

Understanding the Problem

If you were rear-ended at a stop sign in North Carolina and taken by ambulance to the hospital, you may be wondering whether you must send your ambulance and hospital records to the adjuster yourself, or whether your attorney does it for you, and what you have to sign for those records to be released.

Apply the Law

North Carolina treats medical information as confidential. As a general rule, a health care provider is not required to disclose confidential medical information from your treatment unless you authorize it (or a court compels it). In injury claims, that means an insurance adjuster typically cannot just “pull” your ambulance chart or hospital records without a valid authorization. Practically, most records get to the adjuster because your attorney requests them from the ambulance service and hospital, then provides them to the liability carrier and (if you open one) your own insurer for medical payments and/or uninsured/underinsured motorist evaluation.

Ambulance/EMS records tied to dispatch, response, treatment, and transport are also treated as confidential and generally are released only with the patient’s written consent or a court order. So the usual workflow is: authorization signed → provider releases records/bills → attorney reviews → attorney submits to the adjuster with a demand or status update.

Key Requirements

• Valid authorization: A signed, properly completed medical-record authorization is usually required before an ambulance service or hospital will release records to an insurer or attorney.
• Correct provider requests: Ambulance records and hospital records are often held by different entities (EMS agency vs. hospital system), so they must be requested separately and precisely.
• Scope control: The authorization should match what is actually needed for the claim (dates of service and providers), because broad authorizations can lead to over-collection of unrelated history.
• Complete documentation: Adjusters commonly want both records (clinical notes, imaging reports) and bills (itemized statements), plus proof of what health insurance paid and what balances remain.
• Review before submission: Your attorney typically reviews records for accuracy, missing pages, and whether follow-up records are still outstanding before sending a package to the adjuster.
• Coordination with multiple insurers: When you have a claim with the at-fault driver’s carrier and also open a claim with your own insurer (including possible UIM), the same core medical records may be submitted to more than one adjuster.

What the Statutes Say

• N.C. Gen. Stat. § 8-53 (Physician-patient communications) - Treats confidential medical information as protected and generally released only with the patient’s authorization or by court compulsion.
• N.C. Gen. Stat. § 143-518 (Confidentiality of certain EMS/trauma patient information) - Provides that certain EMS/trauma-related patient records are confidential and not public records, and are generally released only with written consent or court order.
• N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-21 (Disclosure of medical information for certain purposes) - Addresses when protected health information may be disclosed in specific contexts and recognizes disclosure rules tied to federal HIPAA standards.

Analysis

Apply the Rule to the Facts: Because you were transported by ambulance and treated at a hospital after a rear-end crash, there are at least two key sets of records (EMS and hospital) that are confidential and typically require your written authorization to be released for an insurance claim. Since you have counsel and are opening claims with both the at-fault driver’s insurer and your own insurer (including possible underinsured motorist coverage), your attorney will usually gather the records and bills, review them, and then submit them to the appropriate adjusters in a controlled way. That approach helps avoid incomplete submissions and helps limit disclosure to what is relevant to the crash injuries being claimed.

Process & Timing

1. Who files: Your attorney (or you, if unrepresented). Where: With the ambulance service’s records department and the hospital’s medical records (Health Information Management) department in North Carolina. What: A signed medical-record authorization (often a HIPAA-compliant form) plus provider-specific request forms if required. When: Usually after the claim is opened and the correct provider names/dates of service are confirmed; providers often take days to weeks to process requests, and timing varies by facility.
2. Next step: The provider sends records and/or billing statements to your attorney (or directly to the insurer if your authorization allows it). Your attorney checks for completeness (for example, EMS narrative, vitals, medications given; ER physician notes; imaging reports; discharge instructions) and requests missing items if needed.
3. Final step: Your attorney submits the relevant records and bills to the insurance adjuster as part of a demand package or a periodic update, often with a summary tying the treatment to the crash and noting any ongoing care.

Exceptions & Pitfalls

• Overbroad authorizations: Some insurers ask for “any and all records” for many years. Signing a broad authorization can result in disclosure of unrelated medical history that complicates the claim. Narrowing by provider and date range often avoids this problem.
• Records vs. bills vs. liens: Records explain the injury; bills show charges; but adjusters may also need proof of payments/adjustments and information about potential reimbursement claims (for example, health insurance). Missing one category can stall negotiations.
• Incomplete EMS/hospital packets: It is common for initial productions to miss attachments (triage notes, radiology reads, nursing notes, EMS run sheet pages). Submitting incomplete records can lead to low valuation or repeated requests.
• Direct-to-insurer releases: If records go straight from a provider to an insurer, you may not see what was sent until later. Many clients prefer their attorney receive and review the records first.
• Confusion with workers’ compensation rules: Different rules can apply in workers’ compensation cases. A car-crash bodily injury/UIM claim is typically handled through authorizations and voluntary exchange, not the workers’ comp medical-access framework.

Conclusion

In North Carolina, ambulance and hospital records are confidential and usually reach the insurance adjuster only after you authorize their release and someone requests them from the providers. In most injury claims, your attorney obtains the EMS and hospital records and bills, reviews them for completeness, and then submits the relevant materials to the adjuster to support the claim. The most practical next step is to sign a properly limited medical-record authorization so your attorney can request the correct records from the ambulance service and hospital promptly.

Talk to a Personal Injury Attorney

If you're dealing with a rear-end crash injury claim and need to gather and submit ambulance and hospital records to an adjuster (including for a possible underinsured motorist claim), our firm has experienced attorneys who can help you understand your options and timelines. Reach out today. Call [CONTACT NUMBER].

Disclaimer: This article provides general information about North Carolina law based on the single question stated above. It is not legal advice for your specific situation and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws, procedures, and local practice can change and may vary by county. If you have a deadline, act promptly and speak with a licensed North Carolina attorney.