Why Treatment Timing and Documentation Matter
When an insurance company asks for a doctor’s signature or “verification,” it is usually trying to confirm two things: (1) you were under medical care for accident-related issues and (2) the time you missed from work lines up with medical restrictions or documented symptoms. In a personal injury claim, this kind of paperwork can affect how the insurer evaluates both wage loss and the overall impact of the injury.
Common Scenarios and What They Often Mean
- The form is a wage-loss or disability-style verification: The provider may be asked to confirm dates you were unable to work, work restrictions, or the date you could return (with or without limits).
- The form is a medical-records authorization: This usually allows your lawyer (as your “designated representative”) to request records and bills needed to support the claim.
- The provider won’t complete “legal forms”: Some offices will not fill out insurer-created forms, but they may provide visit notes, work-status notes, or a narrative summary instead (sometimes with a separate fee).
Practical Documentation Tips (Non‑Medical)
- Ask your lawyer where the form should go: If your lawyer is handling the claim, it is usually cleaner for the provider to send the completed form and any attachments to the law firm so it can be reviewed for completeness and consistency before submission.
- Make sure the provider has the right authorization: A signed medical-records authorization typically lets the provider release records to your lawyer. Without it, the office may refuse to send anything or may only send it to you.
- Confirm the exact dates you missed: Wage-loss forms often require specific date ranges. Use your work schedule/pay records to list the time missed, and let the medical office address medical restrictions (rather than guessing what the doctor will certify).
- Keep copies of what you submit: Save the blank form, the completed form, and any cover sheet or confirmation (mail/fax/portal upload) so there is a clear paper trail.
- Expect possible copy or preparation charges: In North Carolina, providers may charge regulated copying fees for medical records and may also charge a reasonable professional fee for preparing a narrative summary if requested.
How This Applies
Apply to the facts: You received paperwork to claim lost wages and a separate medical-records authorization. If you sign the authorization and it names the law firm as the recipient, your lawyer can usually request the verification and supporting records from the treating provider and coordinate getting the completed wage-loss/medical verification back to the insurer. For the “time missed from work” section, you can typically list the dates/hours you missed based on your work records, while the provider completes the medical verification portion.
What the Statutes Say (Optional)
- N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-411 (Medical record copy fees) – Allows providers to charge certain fees for copying and sending records, and permits a reasonable professional fee for a physician’s narrative summary when requested.
- N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-52 (Three-year limitations period for many civil actions) – Contains North Carolina’s three-year limitations period that often applies in injury-related civil cases.
Conclusion
If an insurance form needs a doctor’s signature or verification, the provider can often send it straight to your lawyer as long as the right authorization is on file and the form clearly identifies where it should be sent. That approach also helps avoid missing pages, unclear dates, or inconsistent information. A practical next step is to send your lawyer a copy of every form you received (blank) so the office can tell you exactly what you should fill out and what the provider should complete.
