Case Desk · Medical Records
Generate a HIPAA-compliant authorization letter you can mail, email, or fax to any provider who treated you after the accident. Built from the elements required by 45 CFR §164.508 so the resulting document is valid on its face. Nothing here is stored on our servers — the letter is built on your device and downloaded directly to you.
HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) restricts who can access your medical records. A valid authorization letter is the standard way to instruct a provider to release your records to you, your lawyer, your insurer, or anyone else you choose.
45 CFR §164.508 lists the specific elements an authorization must include. Our generator builds a letter that contains every one of them — the specific records being requested, who is releasing them, who receives them, the purpose, the expiration, your right to revoke, the redisclosure warning, and the non-conditioning statement. Most providers will accept this letter as-is.
Some providers (especially large hospital systems) require their own form. Always check the provider's medical-records page before mailing — if they have a form, fill out theirs. If they don't, the letter we generate is the universal fallback.
After a car accident, most victims see between four and eight providers. Each holds a different piece of your medical picture. Insurers will use any gap against you — request from every one of these that applies.
Ambulance / EMS
If you were transported from the scene, the ambulance run report documents your condition before any hospital intervention — the only contemporaneous proof of injury.
Examples: AMR, county fire department EMS, private ambulance service.
Emergency department / hospital
The ER chart, imaging reports, discharge summary, and itemized bill from your first hospital visit. The single highest-leverage record in most car-accident cases.
Examples: Hospital where you were taken from the scene or went later the same day.
Primary care physician
Pre-accident baseline and any follow-up visits. Insurers will ask whether you had a pre-existing condition; your PCP records answer that.
Examples: Family medicine practice, internal medicine clinic.
Urgent care
Many victims go to urgent care 1–3 days after the accident when delayed-onset pain shows up. Request these even if the visit was brief.
Examples: CityMD, Concentra, neighborhood walk-in clinics.
Specialists (orthopedic, neurology, pain management)
Anyone you saw on referral after the accident: orthopedic surgeon for fractures, neurologist for concussion symptoms, pain management for injections.
Examples: Orthopedic, neurology, physiatry, pain management.
Imaging center
Standalone imaging facilities maintain the actual images (DICOM) separately from your physician's report. Both matter — request both.
Examples: RadNet, SimonMed, hospital-affiliated imaging.
Physical therapy / chiropractic
Therapy notes show ongoing impairment and functional limits — central to non-economic damages. Get full session-by-session notes, not just a summary.
Examples: Outpatient PT clinic, chiropractic office.
Mental health (if applicable)
If you were treated for post-accident anxiety, PTSD, or depression. Note: these records may require a separate state-specific authorization at some providers.
Examples: Therapist, psychiatrist, counseling clinic.
Case Desk is a product of AskMatlock. Neither is a law firm. This template is a starting point; some providers require their own form. Verify with the provider before mailing. Your records information stays on your device — Case Desk does not store any protected health information server-side.
