Practice Areas
- Personal Injury
- Automobile Accidents
- Wrongful Death
- Product Liability
- Medical Malpractice
- Premises Liability
- Dog Bites/Pet Attacks
- Industrial Accidents and Worker’s Compensation
Van Dorn Blog 
Automobile Accidents
- Appeals Court Upholds $16 Million Bad Faith Claim Against Allstate
- Insurance Institute Conducts Pickup Truck Safety Tests
- New Hampshire Man Dies In Motorcycle Accident
- Vermont Makes Roads Safer
- Laconia Motorcycle Week
- New Hampshire Motorcycle Safety Awareness Campaign
- True Story
Dog Bites/Pet Attacks
Medical Malpractice
Personal Injury
- Senate Passes Safety Bill for Toys
- Research Your Potential Personal Injury Attorney
- I Call Insurance Company Rules!
- HR 6126: The Fairness in Nursing Home Arbitration Act
- Three Injured in Separate ATV Accidents
- Insurance Companies and Personal Injury Lawyers
- Unethical Lawyers
- "...an informed client is our best client."
- New Hampshire Personal Injury Law
- Beware of Settlement Mills
Attorney Fees
General
Samples Cases
Automobile Accidents
$875,000 recovered for man injured in automobile/bicycle accident
$750,000 recovered for rear-end auto accident resulting in back surgery
Dog Bites/Pet Attacks
Industrial Accidents and Worker’s Compensation
$1,400,000 recovered for victim of industrial accident
Other
$600,000 recovered for man injured in logging accident
$1,600,000 Settlement for Civil Rights Case
Legal News
Little progress in bridge repairs across US...
Two Window Washers Die in Accident at NYC Building...
Appeals Court Upholds $16 Million Verdict Against Allstate...
Insurance tests raise questions about some pickups...
Allstate Ranks as Worst Insurer for Consumers...
Drew Griffin Tonight - "Keeping them Honest."...
Manchester New Hampshire man dies in motorcycle accident...
Teen fleeing Rottweiler fractures skull...
2008 Presidential Candidates Respond to Ten Questions About Their Health Care Reform Proposals...
Medical Providers Fail to Release Medical Records - A New Trend
The death of a loved one can be unbearable. After loosing a loved one, it is common to look for answers, especially when a loved one dies under medical care. It is logical to think that when a patient dies under medical care, there should be records and documentation that would explain what went wrong. However, there is a troubling new trend that the family members of patients who die under medical care have difficulties obtaining medical records, especially when there has been a complication with the medical care that was provided.
Many times, family members just want an explanation. However, the medical provider’s reaction may be to hide any evidence of errors or mistakes to prevent medical malpractice claims. In California, there have been reports of medical records going missing, and medical providers giving family members thousands of pages of medical records that are totally unrelated to the inquiry. There are claims that medical providers have intentionally darkened pages or provided copies of records that are illegible. There are also reports of medical providers taking years to release medical records. This can be a very serious issue. In California, there have been situations where a medical provider failed to release a patient’s medical records for over three years. By the time the medical provider finally released the records, the statute of limitations for medical malpractice claims expired. Medical records are central to any medical malpractice claim and medical providers understand this fact.
It is important for consumers to understand that federal law mandates medical providers release a patient’s records to either the patient or the patient’s designated representative. Under the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, medical providers may deny the release of records, however, they may only do so in limited circumstances and they must explain their reasons for doing so.
One way to ensure you receive proper documentation of all your medical treatment is to ask for copies of your medical records periodically, instead of waiting until after there has been a complication or possible medical malpractice. Also, if you are having difficulties obtaining medical records, you can contact the Department of Health and Human Services or your states medical board. If you suspect a possible claim for medical malpractice and the medical provider refuses or delays releasing the proper medical documentation, it may be helpful to speak with an attorney that is experienced in dealing with medical providers. Hospitals and medical providers have lawyers working for them. When you have an attorney representing your claim, it becomes very difficult for the medical providers to deny the release of documentation that they are required to disclose.
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Van Dorn & Curtiss
633 Main Street
Route 10
P.O. Box 263
Orford, NH 03777-0263
Phone: (866) 632-8980
FAQs
Personal Injury
- Am I eligible for a personal injury lawsuit?
- How do the attorneys determine how much my personal injury claim may be worth?
- When I meet with a personal injury attorney for my first consultation, what information should I provide?
Automobile Accidents
- I was in an automobile accident and the payout offered by the insurance company seems low. What should I do?
- I was injured in a car accident and it was the other driver's fault. They didn't have insurance...what can I do?
- I was injured in a car accident and my car sustained very little visual damage. The other driver was at fault and their insurance company is denying my claim. They say because there was so little damage to the car, I am lying about my injury...what can I do?
Wrongful Death
- I recently lost a loved one in an accident. What are my rights?
- How do I bring a wrongful death claim?
- What is a survival action?
Medical Malpractice
- Is it true that legislators are attempting to limit medical malpractice recovery in New Hampshire?
- What are some specific types of medical malpractice?
- My spouse recently died while being treated at a hospital. I think the hospital did something wrong, but the hospital won't release the medical records...what can I do?
Premises Liability
- Are hotels responsible for criminal acts that take place on their property?
- What is premises liability?
- I was injured on someone else's property...now what?
Dog Bites/Pet Attacks
- My child was bitten by a neighbor's dog and the neighbor refuses to pay the medical bills. What should I do?
- How many people are bitten by dogs each year?
- What is the one-bite rule?