Using A Pain Journal To Document Your Personal Injury Journey
When it comes to proving a personal injury case, there can never be enough evidence. If you have been hurt in a car accident and the other driver was at fault, you can be paid a modest sum by the insurance company or you can be paid for the many ways the accident has negatively affected your life. If you choose to take legal action, documenting your struggles to heal from the injuries might end up making the difference between an adequate payment and a monetary award that recognizes the true depth of your losses. Read on to learn how to use a pain journal to document your injuries from a car accident.
Why Keep a Pain Journal?
Dealing with the many details of a personal injury case can be a challenge when you are also trying to cope with healing. Details can easily be forgotten or lost unless they are documented. The personal injury process may take time and depending on memories is not efficient. The best reason to use a pain journal, however, is that it becomes part of the evidence needed to prove your pain and suffering.
What to Note
Be conscientious about documenting the following in your pain journal:
1. All medical appointments and the reason. Follow up with notes about what occurred at the appointment. Include all appointments related to your injury, from doctor's visits to physical therapy to diagnostic testing.
2. Track your mileage to and from any trips relating to the accident or your medical treatment. Include tolls, parking, and using public transportation.
3. Use the journal to write about how your injuries are affecting you on a daily basis. If you are unable to participate in events, enjoy time with your family or other events, note the way that makes you feel in the journal.
4. Keep a list of all medications, your usage, and the side effects.
5. Make a list of your daily symptoms, improvements, and regressions.
6. Note the treatments and effectiveness. For example, if physical therapy is not helping you to progress as much as you would like, note down those limitations.
Tips for a Better Journal
1. Make it a point to, at a minimum, make at least one entry every day.
2. Get into the habit of using the journal at the same time each day.
3. Be as detailed as needed but don't exaggerate in anticipation of getting more compensation.
4. Using a tablet or computer will produce more legible work.
5. Date each entry.
6. Be as descriptive as possible. Describe the pain, for example, as burning, sharp, mild, pinprick, ache, etc instead of just writing "I am in pain".
To find out more about using a pain journal after a car accident, contact companies like Adams Jordan & Herrington PC.