HOW TO SUBMIT MY CASE

The information below will assist you in preparing your case to send to our office for review. Following is a list of items that should be included in that file:

1. COVER LETTER – Your cover letter should instruct our office whether you request a Case Evaluation Report or an Expert Witness Report. Should you choose an Expert Witness Report, you must specify the exact specialty of the Expert needed to review your case in writing. Please also include the total pages of medical records, x-rays and/or photographs you are submitting. Be certain to mention that the x-rays and/or photographs are copies, and if they are originals, provide a clause releasing our Firm from any liability. Should you request a report under our expedited service, please include the date you request the report be returned to you.

2. STATEMENT OF FACTS - This is more important to the Medical Expert who performs the review than you may realize. If your Client handwrites the Statement of Facts, please take the time to have it typed in Affidavit format. An Affidavit is more persuasive than a mere recitation of facts.

3. MEDICAL RECORDS – Whether medical records obtained are on CD or hard copy (printed out), kindly examine each page to ensure copies are legible. You also have the option of e-mailing the medical records to our office. Instructions are below under "E-mailing Medical Records." Medical records should be organized in the hospital format order for each admission, such as the following:

If the records are still in the order in which you received them from the hospital, this does not necessarily mean they are in an acceptable format or complete. Please check them. Be sure they are not in reverse order by dates (from duplicating records). It is important to have these medical records in order before you send them to our office for a review.

E-mailing Medical Records:
If you choose to send your case to the Medical Review Foundation, Inc. via e-mail, please follow these specific instructions to ensure complete delivery of your files/attachments.

• Files can either be in pdf or jpeg format and each file cannot exceed 10MB per email.   Note :  To maximize your page count per file and obtain a clear copy, scan documents between 200 - 300 dpi.
• E-mail your records to director@malpracticeExperts.com and call our office to let us know to expect the e-mail. We ask this of  you  or your assistant due to possible transmission problems for files too large, or the possiblity of your e-mail being delivered to spam folders. You will immediately receive an e-mail confirmation from MRF that we received the medical records and related documents.  
• In your e-mail, reference the case name (patient name) in the subject line of the e-mail.  
• Be sure to include in your e-mail the total page count of the records and the number of files transmitted to ensure all records were received.  
• If you have additional items to be included for review along with the electronic files (x-rays, MRI, CT Scans, photographs, etc.) that cannot be transmitted via e-mail, be sure to let our office know when to expect those additional items.

** Upon receipt of payment in full for the service you need (Case Evaluation Report and/or Expert Witness Report, addendum reports, Affidavit, Certificate of Merit, etc.) for your case, our office will provide a detailed acknowledgement letter for your file, and our Staff and Medical Directors will proceed with the requested service for your case.

4. X-rays/Scans/Etc. - When pertinent to your case, x-ray, CT scans and etc., studies are often requested by our Medical Experts so they may review them personally. Many find the x-ray reports alone to be an unacceptable basis for their opinion. The x-rays you send to us should be good quality copies. You can obtain copies from the hospital. Compare the copy to the original using a fluorescent light. If you can't tell them apart, you have a good copy. Check each x-ray to insure that your client's name, the date and the type of study that was performed is legible. PLEASE DO NOT SEND ORIGINAL X-RAYS, CD’s, PHOTOGRAPHS, SCANS, ETC. Request copies made from the hospital or facility where the study was taken.

In fracture cases, the following is a general rule in establishing which x-rays are important: 1) Copies of the x-rays when the acute injury is evaluated and treated, 2) Copies of the follow up x-rays, (usually taken 8-10 days after the fracture is casted) and finally, 3) Copies of the x-rays taken at the completion of therapy. In cases having to do with contrast studies, i.e., arteriograms, venograms, intravenous pyelogram (IVP), barium studies, CT scans, and MRIs, copies of all the pertinent films should be obtained for our Medical Expert's review, when relevant. Call our office and our Staff and Directors can assist you.

5. DEPOSITIONS - Those depositions which clarify the level of training and expertise of the party being deposed, as well as any details, facts, or opinions that appear to be relevant to your case are useful to the reviewing Physician. Summaries of each deposition noting key facts and referenced to each page is helpful.

6. FEES - Include your Firm's check in the correct amount. Make payable to: Medical Review Foundation, Inc.  Our organization accepts: Attorney Firm checks, Bank checks (ie: money orders, cashiers checks) and Postal Money Orders.  The appropriate fee for our Case Evaluation Report, Expert Report, Rush Fee, Voluminous Records Charge as well as all other services we provide are listed in the enclosed Fee Schedule.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call our office and one of our Staff will be happy to assist you.

Please be advised, it is our office policy that we do not accept personal Client checks, however we will accept payment from their financial institution in the form of a bank check or postal money order.

Again, please be advised that it is our office policy not to accept personal checks or credit card transactions from your Clients.  However, if your Clients are going to be paying for their case review, again, we will be happy to accept a cashier’s check or money order from their financial institution.  We also accept Postal Money Order's from your Clients.

7. RUSH –With the submission of the appropriate expedited fee, in your cover letter kindly advise our office in writing your legal deadline. We will put forth every effort to see that you receive the report on or before said date.

The value of sending us a comprehensive (complete) set of medical records and studies cannot be stressed enough. Our Medical Directors and Medical Expert Witnesses cannot comment on information that has not been provided to them for their review. What you consider unimportant may be crucial in aiding the Medical Director and Expert Witness in establishing their opinion. We, therefore, discourage culling of the records prior to sending them to us. Call our Staff for assistance in determining what records are essential for review.

The Medical Review Foundation, Inc. invites you to browse through our website. Our staff has placed actual Case Evaluation Reports which have medical subject matters you may find of interest. These genuine “Sample Cases” have been modified to protect parties involved.