AI Cuts Medical Record Retrieval From 45 Days to Under 24 Hours

Medical record retrieval times have dropped from an industry average of 45 days to under 24 hours for law firms using AI-powered services, according to data from over 50,000 requests processed by LlamaLab in 2025. The shift is part of a broader transformation in legal technology that saw AI adoption in law firms increase 79% year-over-year, fundamentally changing how personal injury practices build cases.

The acceleration addresses a long-standing bottleneck: the American Health Law Association reported that medical record delays cause 23% of case dismissals in personal injury litigation, with the average PI case requiring records from 6-8 providers.

What's Driving the Speed Improvement

The acceleration stems from three technological advances that have matured simultaneously in the past 18 months.

Automated Provider Communication

Traditional retrieval requires manual faxing, phone follow-ups, and status tracking across dozens of providers. AI systems now handle this automatically, submitting requests through electronic channels, tracking responses, and escalating non-responsive providers without human intervention.

According to 2025 data from the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), 78% of U.S. healthcare providers now accept electronic record requests, up from 52% in 2022—creating the infrastructure for automated retrieval.

AI-Powered Provider Discovery

A significant challenge in medical record retrieval isn't speed—it's completeness. Clients frequently forget providers, particularly urgent care visits, imaging centers, and specialists seen only once.

AI systems—including those offered by LlamaLab and similar providers—now cross-reference prescription histories, insurance claims data, and provider referral networks to identify treatment sources clients don't recall. This discovery process, which previously required manual investigation, now happens automatically during intake.

Structured Data Extraction

Raw medical records—often thousands of pages of scanned PDFs—are difficult to search and analyze. AI now converts these documents into structured, searchable data automatically.

The practical impact: a paralegal who previously spent 20-40 hours reviewing a large case file can now search across the entire record set in seconds, with key diagnoses, medications, and treatment dates already extracted and organized.

Impact on Personal Injury Practice

The speed improvement is changing case economics and strategy for PI firms.

Faster Case Qualification

With records available in hours rather than weeks, firms can qualify or decline cases faster. This has particular implications for statute of limitations cases and mass tort intake, where rapid qualification determines case viability.

More Complete Medical Histories

AI-discovered providers often hold critical evidence: the ER visit that documented initial injury, the specialist who noted causation, or the pharmacy records proving ongoing treatment. Internal data from LlamaLab shows that AI discovery identifies an average of 2-3 additional providers per case—providers that would likely be missed using traditional retrieval methods.

Reduced Administrative Burden

The 2025 Clio Legal Trends Report found that paralegals spend an average of 31% of their time on record retrieval and follow-up. Automation of this workflow frees staff for higher-value case work.

VA Records: A Special Case

Veterans Affairs medical records have historically presented unique challenges, with retrieval times averaging 90+ days due to the VA's centralized record system and high request volume.

AI-powered services have reduced VA retrieval to 4-7 days on average by:

• Submitting requests through optimized VA channels
• Automatically tracking request status
• Escalating delays before they extend timelines

For firms handling Camp Lejeune, burn pit, or other veteran-related litigation, this improvement is particularly significant given the aging plaintiff population.

What This Means for 2026

The medical record retrieval market is consolidating around AI-powered solutions. According to Legal Tech News, three of the five largest legal services providers announced AI retrieval capabilities in the past six months.

For law firms still using traditional retrieval services, the competitive gap is widening. Cases that once waited months for records now move to demand within weeks—changing settlement dynamics and case throughput.

The Bottom Line

Medical record retrieval has shifted from a months-long bottleneck to a days-long process. The firms adapting fastest are seeing tangible benefits: faster case qualification, more complete medical histories, and reduced administrative overhead.

The technology is mature and widely available. The question for most firms isn't whether to adopt AI-powered retrieval, but how quickly they can integrate it into existing workflows.

Sources: Thomson Reuters 2025 Legal AI Report, American Health Law Association, HIMSS 2025 Interoperability Survey, Clio Legal Trends Report 2025. Internal data based on 50,000+ retrieval requests processed in 2025.