Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 152, § 20 (2026)

Hospital records as evidence; medical records and reports open to inspection

✓ current as of July 2026

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Section 20. Copies of hospital records kept in accordance with section seventy of chapter one hundred and eleven, certified by the persons in custody thereof to be true and complete, shall be admissible in evidence in proceedings before the division or any member thereof. The division or any member, before admitting any such copy in evidence, may require the party offering the same to produce the original record. All medical records and reports of hospitals, clinics and physicians of the insurer, employer, or of the employee shall be filed with and open to the inspection of the division so far as relevant to any matter before it. Such reports shall be open to the inspection of any party.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 7 cases, 1967–2011 · leading case: Higgins's Case, 948 N.E.2d 1228 (Mass. 2011).

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Higgins's Case, 948 N.E.2d 1228 (Mass. 2011). · cites it 6× “6 In the context of a workers’ compensation proceeding, all medical reports relating to the *55 employee’s work-related injury are relevant and are therefore subject to the mandates of G. L. c. 152, § 20. A medical report that has not been filed, but is subject to the filing…”

Fitzgibbons's Case, 373 N.E.2d 1174 (Mass. 1978). · cites it 2× “2 It is unclear on the record whether the hospital records were admitted under G. L. c. 152, § 20, which contains no limitation on the admission of hospital records, or under G.”

Anzalone v. Massachusetts Bay Transp. Auth., 526 N.E.2d 246 (Mass. 1988). “, G. L. c. 152, §§ 20, 20A, and 30A. 5 “Trade” and “commerce” are defined in G.”

Patterson v. Liberty Mut. Ins., 723 N.E.2d 1005 (Mass. App. Ct. 2000). “14(2) (1993) (which are documents within established hearsay exceptions, see G. L. c. 152, § 20; c. 233, § 79; O’Brien’s Case, 424 Mass.”

DaLomba's Case, 227 N.E.2d 513 (Mass. 1967). “Bragdon’s reports with the board as required by G. L. c. 152, § 20. We note that neither the single member nor the board based their findings of partial disability on the expert medical evidence before them.”

Doherty's Case, 409 N.E.2d 241 (Mass. App. Ct. 1980). “233, § 79, rather than G. L. c. 152, § 20, governs the admissibility of hospital records, and that the patient history portion of the hospital record should have been excluded under G.”

Collins's Case, 488 N.E.2d 46 (Mass. App. Ct. 1986). “Even though such history may have been “open to the inspection of the division” (G. L. c. 152, § 20, as amended through St.”

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