Keeping a Journal after Your Accident
Most people don’t associate journals with personal injuries. Although plenty of people keep journals of their thoughts, hobbies, and daily activities, journaling can also be tremendously useful after a car accident or any other type of accident.
Today, there are several options for keeping a post-accident journal. Smartphones and laptops even make it easy to maintain a digital journal on the go. In fact, there are numerous apps that allow you to track your injury symptoms and other details with a few clicks of a button. Alternatively, you can keep a handwritten journal.
How a Post-Accident Journal Can Help Your Case
A post-accident journal can help your case in several different ways. Although most people have the ability to recall what they did over the past 24 hours with great accuracy, memories degrade over time. For example, you might be able to remember what you ate for lunch yesterday, but you are likely less confident about what you ate for lunch five days ago. With a journal, you can capture details you might otherwise forget. Here is how a post-accident journal can benefit your case:
- Allows you to document your pain following injuries
- Helps you record how and when your injuries impact your daily life
- Assists you in keeping track of when you visited health care providers, including doctors, physical therapists, chiropractors, and others
- Allows you to corroborate with and elaborate on your doctor‘s notes
What Should You Document?
A post-accident journal is much different from a personal journal. Here are a few things you may want to include:
- The facts surrounding the day of your accident, including as much detail as you can remember
- Conversations, including the date and time the conversation takes place, you have with witnesses, doctors, police officers, insurance companies, and anyone else with information about the accident or your injuries
- Pain and symptoms of your injuries, including when you experience them
- Any days you miss work due to your injury or circumstances surrounding the accident
- Dates of hospitalization, surgery, or doctor’s visits
- Details about your medical care, including instructions from your doctor
- All your medications, including when they were prescribed and which doctor prescribed them
Iowa Personal Injury Law Firm
If you have been injured in an accident caused by another person’s negligence, it’s important to speak to a personal injury attorney as soon as possible. Contact Attorney Ed Keane today at (712) 234-3088 to discuss your case.
This website has been prepared by Keane Law Firm for informational purposes only and does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice. The information is not provided in the course of an attorney-client relationship and is not intended to substitute for legal advice from an attorney licensed in your jurisdiction.
