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I ask for my medical records and they want me to sign a release giving up my right to
sue. Can they do that? You want to learn the answer? Come join me. Hi. I’m Gerry Oginski,
a New York medical malpractice and personal injury trial attorney practicing law here
in the state of New York. One of the reasons we sometimes see a doctor or a doctor’s
office giving a patient a release form to sign that says hey, you hereby release me
from any and all injuries or claims if I provide this to you. In that instance, our best recommendation
is don’t sign that. Why not? Well here, this is an important point. Your records,
you are entitled to your records no matter what. The doctor cannot force you to sign
or compel you to sign such a release. Now you do have to sign a piece of paper called
an “authorization” which authorizes the doctor and his office to release those medical
records. By law, they are obligated to provide copies to you and you have to pay for copying
costs - that they are obligated to do. But if a doctor turns around and says the only
way I’m giving you your records – copies of your records – is if you sign what’s
known as a “release” releasing me from any and all claims, under no circumstance
should you sign that. And the next call you make should be to an attorney to find out
how you can compel the doctor to turn over the records which literally are your records,
not the originals but the copies. So, if you have questions like these I encourage you
to pick up the phone and call me. This is what I do every single day. You can reach
me at 516-487-8207 or by email at lawmed10@yahoo.com. I’m Gerry Oginski, here in New York. Thanks
for watching.