What This Question Is Really Asking
Most clients ask this when they feel “stuck” after treatment ends. In many North Carolina injury claims, you cannot responsibly push settlement talks forward until the file has the complete set of medical records and final billing—because those documents are what the insurance company uses to evaluate what happened, what care you received, and what the injury cost.
A Practical Step-by-Step Path
- Immediate priorities: Make sure your attorney has the full treatment timeline (start date, last visit date, and any referrals). Keep any paperwork you already have, including visit summaries and billing statements, so nothing gets lost in the shuffle.
- Short-term tasks: Your attorney (or their records vendor) requests the remaining medical records and itemized bills from the facility that has not finished producing them. The office typically tracks what was requested, when it was requested, and what is still outstanding, then follows up until the facility completes the request.
- Later-stage steps: Once the file is complete, your attorney usually organizes the records and bills, confirms the totals, and prepares a demand package for the insurer. That package commonly includes the medical documentation, billing, and other proof of damages (like time missed from work if that applies). Then negotiations typically begin. If the insurer disputes fault or the value of the claim, litigation may be considered, but that decision depends on the facts and deadlines.
Timing: What Can Speed Things Up or Slow Things Down
- Records and billing delays: Some facilities send records quickly but take longer to send final itemized billing (or send it in pieces). This is one of the most common reasons a case feels paused.
- Missing “final” bills: Even after treatment ends, bills can arrive later (for example, separate billing entities or late coding). Insurers often want the complete bill picture before they evaluate the claim.
- Need for clarification: If the records leave questions (for example, about whether symptoms are related to the incident), your attorney may request a clarifying narrative from a provider. That can help address common insurance arguments in soft-tissue cases.
- Liability disputes: If the insurer questions who caused the incident, it can slow negotiations because the insurer may focus on fault defenses before discussing damages.
- Local practice variability: Timing and responsiveness can vary by provider and by how claims are handled in different North Carolina counties, including around Durham.
How This Applies
Apply to your facts: You have finished chiropractic treatment, which usually means your attorney can now “close the treatment chapter” and focus on documenting the full cost and timeline. If the case is waiting on remaining records and bills from a medical facility, the practical next step is to keep pressure on that records request, confirm the request includes both records and itemized billing, and then move into demand preparation as soon as the file is complete.
What the Statutes Say (Optional)
- N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-52 (Civil actions—three years) – This statute includes North Carolina’s general three-year limitations period that commonly applies to personal injury lawsuits.
Conclusion
Right now, your case sounds like it is waiting on the last pieces of documentation—final medical records and bills—so your attorney can present a complete, organized claim. The next step is usually finishing those requests and follow-ups, confirming the billing is complete and accurate, and then sending a demand package to start (or restart) serious settlement negotiations. Your one next step: ask your attorney’s office what specific records/bills are still outstanding and the date of the most recent follow-up request.
