How to request medical records for a personal injury case

Medical records are the backbone of most personal injury cases, and getting them is rarely as simple as sending one letter. Each provider has its own intake process, and a request that is incomplete or sent to the wrong place can sit for weeks before anyone tells you.

This guide walks through the request from start to finish. It is general information, not legal advice. State rules, provider policies and your own case deadlines come first.

This guide reflects Utah and federal law as of October 2026. Other states differ, and statutes and fee amounts change, so confirm the current rules before you rely on them.

1. List every provider you need records from

Start with the full treatment picture, not just the first hospital. Ask the client for the emergency department, specialists, primary care, physical therapy, imaging centers, pharmacies and any providers who treated an earlier, related condition. Add each one to a list with the dates of treatment you expect to cover.

Records and bills are often held by different entities, so decide up front whether you need both. Imaging reports and the images themselves are also frequently handled separately.

2. Get a complete, signed authorization

Most providers will not release records to a law firm without a valid authorization signed by the client or their legal representative. (Once a case is filed, a subpoena is another route.) Before you rely on a form, check that it:

• shows the client's name as it appears on the provider's chart
• names the provider that actually holds the records
• states a date range that covers the treatment you need
• has not expired on the day the request will go out
• is signed and dated
• includes the statements the provider requires

Providers often reject a request over one missing item here. For more on the common defects, see why medical records requests get rejected.

3. Find out where the provider wants requests sent

A hospital is not one mailbox. Medical records, billing and imaging may each have their own department, and each may prefer a portal, a fax number, a mailing address or an email. Call the main number or check the provider's website for the release-of-information (ROI) department and its preferred method, and note it so the next request goes out the same way.

4. Know the Utah rules that apply

Two kinds of requests are easy to confuse. A patient asking for their own records has a federal right of access with its own deadline. A request from the patient's attorney or another authorized third party is handled in Utah under Utah Code § 78B-5-618, which says, in general terms:

• A provider, or the records vendor it uses, is to provide the copy within 30 days after receiving the request.
• The statute caps what can be charged to an attorney or other third party: a locating fee per request, per-page limits, a certification fee, postage, and a lower cap on electronic copies. The amounts are adjusted for inflation each January and are published each year by the Utah Courts.
• If the records are not sent within 30 days, the fee is cut in half, and if they are not sent within 60 days they are to be provided free of charge. There are exceptions, such as certain emergencies, and a records vendor may require prepayment from a requester with a history of paying late.
• Providers that use a records vendor are directed to register the vendor with the Division of Professional Licensing, which keeps a public index you can use to find where to send requests.
• Providers are directed to accept the state's standard health record access form (Utah Code § 26B-8-514), which does not need to be notarized.

The statute does not mention a demand letter or a separate notice for the fee reductions, which follow from the dates. Once a lawsuit is filed, a subpoena is another way to get records, with its own notice and protective-order requirements under HIPAA.

5. Send the request and keep a record of it

Include the authorization, a short cover letter that says exactly which records you want and for what dates, and any reference the provider asks for. Then write down:

• the date sent
• the provider and department
• the method used
• any confirmation or tracking number

6. Set the first follow-up date right away

Do not wait to remember. Pick the date of the first status check when you send the request, and note the date the provider received it, since the 30- and 60-day periods run from receipt. Some requests are never answered, and an unanswered request looks the same as one that is on its way until someone checks. For a worked example of a schedule, see how to follow up on a records request without losing track.

7. Review what arrives

When records come in, compare them to your list. Check that the date range is complete, that every provider and department you asked for is represented, and that the pages are legible. If something is missing, ask for it promptly, referring to your original request.

Where the time goes

Most of the delay in this process comes from rejected authorizations, requests sent to the wrong department, and requests nobody followed up on. These are the three places medical records retrieval software like DocHound is built around: it checks the authorization before the request goes out, sends it to the right department, and tracks follow-ups until the records arrive.