Maybe you assume that your health care providers, or others, will document your information accurately after you suffer any type of serious injuries caused by someone else's negligence:
- Catastrophic injuries in a car accident
- Injuries in a slip and fall
- Injuries due to medical malpractice
- Traumatic brain or spine injuries
Although you may think it's not your own responsibility to document your injury, doing so could prove to be the tipping point to a victory.
Documentation can be your advantage when negotiating with the insurance adjuster handling your claim, resulting in financial compensation for your accident injuries and economic damages. The advantages of writing in a diary every day after being involved in an accident overcome the expended time, energy, and discipline it takes to keep track of:
- Medical bills
- Medical treatment
- Lost wages
By using a pain journal for your personal injury claim, you can:
- Track critical bits of information
- Recall important information
- Report information
Injured in a Car Accident in Miami? Keep a Pain Journal
An injury journal can be used as evidence when making insurance claims or dealing with defense attorneys. With the help of a daily diary, as mentioned, you can:
- Track every day your:
- Treatment
- Symptoms
- Evolution
- Sudden outbreaks
- Relapses
- Track your mileage for possible reimbursement by documenting the visits you made to the:
- Doctor
- Therapist
- Personal injury lawyers
- Rely on it to recall and present the details of your serious injury and accident case despite the passage of time
- Record the carelessness of any of the other parties involved in your case
In your personal injury case diary, you should make honest, accurate, and short daily records. Be specific about:
- How the physical limitations caused by the accident hinder:
- Your work
- Your life at home
- Your usual routines
- The emotional distress you suffer
- The effects of defective products that were possibly involved in your accident
- All conversations with:
- Your doctor
- Insurer
- Anyone involved in your accident
Make your diary entries a habit by writing at the same time each day and date and sign them. To improve your diary entries, you can ask your personal injury attorney to look over your journal and offer expert advice. To preserve the details of your life post-injury, use descriptive words to document:
- How you feel each day
- What type of pain you feel
- How intense it is
- Where you feel it
- How often you feel pain
A solid, strong personal injury case could result in obtaining fair compensation for your losses and damages. Diligent and correct entries can provide valuable information to insurance companies or juries, if your case is taken to court, about the work you are putting into the legal process and the severity of your:
- Personal injuries
- Hardships
- Physical and mental health
- Financial stability
- Progress in recovery
Need a Personal Injury Attorney in Miami? Call Us
Keeping a pain journal, documenting your suffering and treatment is a great tool because it provides information about what you have experienced.
However, in case you intend to keep it private, understand that during a personal injury lawsuit you may have to reveal its existence and provide a copy to the defense.
In most personal injury cases, courts deem injury journals relevant documents for the injury claims, and they must be disclosed to the opposing trial attorneys. If the information recorded is inconsistent or contradicts your oral testimony, your credibility may suffer.
Your experienced attorney will be by your side and will make sure to object to the questions that are not relevant to the claims process and injuries:
- The defense personal injury attorneys may take out of context entries unrelated to the injury accident and use them against your injury claims
- The defense will look for information that shows your injuries are not serious, even if they are brain injuries or spinal cord injuries
- The defense will look for information that has nothing to do with your injuries but can be used against you when you go to trial
If you were injured in a Miami accident in which other parties involved were negligent or reckless, hire a personal injury lawyer from our firm, The Law Offices of Sean M. Cleary. We can ensure that you have the chance to recover fair compensation.