If you have suffered a catastrophic injury in a motorcycle crash on one of South Dakota’s scenic highways, you may be facing mounting medical bills you cannot pay. In exchange for quickly processing your insurance claim, an adjuster may ask you to execute a blanket medical authorization.
Even though a blanket medical authorization may seem like a standard insurance form, signing one may cause you more harm than good. Accordingly, like with any other thing an adjuster asks you to sign, you should be sure you understand the consequences of your actions.
Your medical details
When processing your claim, adjusters need to know about the extent of your injury. Therefore, it is normal for adjusters to review some of your medical records. If you sign a blanket medical authorization, though, you give adjusters permission to look through everything in your medical past.
Your insurance claim
While there are exceptions, insurance companies typically make money by collecting premiums and paying as little as possible for accident claims. If you execute a blanket medical authorization, adjusters may use a previous injury, preexisting medical condition or something else in your past to offer you an unreasonably low settlement. They may also simply deny your claim outright.
Your right to privacy
Even if signing a blanket medical authorization ultimately has little or no effect on the compensation you receive, you may lose your medical privacy. That is, adjusters may uncover sensitive information you would rather they not know.
The days, weeks and months after a motorcycle crash can be confusing and painful. Put simply, you should probably think twice before allowing adjusters to capitalize on your vulnerability by inducing you to sign a blanket medical authorization.