Once your slip and fall case settles, you might be tempted to toss the paperwork and move on. Don’t. Keeping a complete set of your case records protects you if medical issues resurface, a lien gets disputed, or the IRS has questions about your settlement. Hang onto everything for at least five to seven years, depending on the document type.
Your case may be over, but its paperwork still has legal life. If a health insurance company tries to assert a lien on your settlement after the fact, you’ll need documentation to dispute or negotiate it. If your injuries require future treatment, those records establish a medical baseline that can’t be recreated.
Protecting yourself after a slip and fall settlement isn’t just about what happened before and during the case. What you preserve afterward can still matter years down the road.
Keep every medical document connected to your injury. That includes emergency room reports, imaging results (X-rays, MRIs, CT scans), physical therapy notes, surgical records, and discharge summaries. These establish the scope and severity of your injuries in writing.
Prescription records matter too, especially if you’re still managing pain or complications after settlement. Under NRS 629.051, Nevada healthcare providers are only required to retain patient records for five years. Once that window closes, getting copies may be difficult or impossible, so request your records before your providers’ retention window expires.
Per HIPAA patient access guidelines, you have the right to request copies of your own health information from any covered provider. Use it. Getting your full medical file from every provider who treated you is one of the most important steps you can take after your case closes.
Start with your settlement agreement and the release you signed. These are the most critical documents from your case. The release defines exactly what claims were resolved and what you agreed to waive. If a dispute comes up later, this is your proof.
Beyond that, hold onto:
If your claim crossed over into workers’ compensation territory, those records are separate from your civil settlement and carry their own retention value. The same applies if other parties were involved, such as those who handle dog bite claims alongside a premises liability matter.
Most personal injury settlements for physical injuries are excluded from gross income under IRC Section 104. That’s good news for most Nevada slip and fall victims. But if any portion of your settlement was for lost wages, punitive damages, or emotional distress not tied to a physical injury, those amounts may be taxable.
Keep a paper trail. Document what each portion of your settlement was intended to compensate, based on your demand letter and the settlement breakdown from your attorney. Hold onto tax-related records for at least seven years. The HIPAA record retention rules are separate from IRS rules, so track both timelines.
The short answer is longer than you think. Under NRS 11.190, Nevada’s two-year statute of limitations applies to new personal injury claims, but disputes over liens, health insurance subrogation, and tax treatment can surface well after your case is closed.
Here’s a practical framework:
| Document Type | Recommended Retention |
|---|---|
| Settlement agreement and release | Permanent |
| Medical records and treatment notes | Permanent |
| Tax-related documents | 7 years minimum |
| Attorney billing and closing statement | 5 to 7 years |
| Insurance correspondence | 5 years |
Digital storage has made it easier than ever to keep records indefinitely. Scan everything, store it in a secure folder, and back it up in at least two places. The cost of keeping too much is nearly zero. The cost of not having something when you need it is a different story entirely.
Whether you’re reviewing documents from a premises liability case or another personal injury matter, building a reliable post-case file protects you from problems you can’t fully predict today. Motor vehicle accident victims face the same record-keeping realities, and the approach is the same: preserve more, not less.
Figuring out what to do after your case wraps up can feel like the guidance stops right when you need it most. Meesha Moulton Law helps Nevada residents navigate every stage of the process, from the first consultation through final paperwork and beyond. Contact us to talk through your situation.
