Why does the adjuster want my full medical records?

Some records are legitimately necessary — the insurer has to evaluate what happened and what it cost.

What's usually requested instead is a broad authorization covering your entire medical history, with no limitation on time period, body part, or provider.

What that's for. Finding a prior complaint about the same body part, a prior accident, a prior claim, or any condition that can be offered as an alternative explanation. A note from six years ago about back pain becomes the centerpiece of the defense.

It also reaches unrelated material — mental health treatment, substance use history, reproductive health — none of which the crash claim requires and all of which can be used to characterize you.

What to do instead. Provide records relevant to the injuries claimed, for a defined period, rather than signing a blanket authorization. Counsel typically obtains and produces records directly rather than granting the insurer open access.

A genuinely relevant prior condition doesn't defeat a claim — aggravation of a pre-existing condition is compensable. But it's better disclosed and framed than discovered.