3 risks of signing a general medical release after an accident

Car accidents are not exactly rare in the Lone Star State. In fact, according to the Texas Department of Transportation, there is a reportable motor vehicle accident every 57 seconds somewhere in the state. Fortunately, you have probably not had to deal with many of them during your lifetime.

Because of your relative inexperience in dealing with car accidents, you may not be ready to interact with the insurance. Therefore, before signing any insurance form, it is critical for you to understand the potential consequences of your actions. Here are three risks that often come with signing a general medical release.

1. You can lose medical privacy

Your medical details should stay between you and your doctor. While an insurance company certainly must know about your accident and its associated injuries, an adjuster may use your general medical release to invade your medical privacy. That is, he or she may use your release to examine your entire medical history.

2. You can harm your claim

The insurance company may not have your interests in mind when processing your claim. Put bluntly, if your medical file includes something the insurer can use against you or to its advantage, you may not receive the settlement offer you deserve. You even may receive a claim denial because of something in your medical past.