CAN AN INJURY JOURNAL HELP YOUR PERSONAL INJURY CLAIM?
If you are considering filing a personal injury claim after sustaining an injury in an accident, you can increase your chances of getting the compensation you deserve you document the progress of your recovery. It can help to make an injury journal to record whatever happens after your accident. You can write everything including descriptions of the effect of your medical treatment on your injury and how your injury has impacted your life. A skilled Salem Oregon personal injury lawyer can discuss what your injury journal must include and how having one can support your injury claim.
How Does an Injury Journal Work?
An injury journal is a written account of your challenges after you sustain an injury in an accident. Also, it offers specific information on your injury and its response to the treatment. But, ensure your journal’s contents are kept private throughout the claims process. The only person who can know about its contents is your lawyer. Your lawyer will help you decide which details your journal should include and how frequently you should log details regarding your injury.
Importance of Keeping a Journal
After an accident, writing a journal allows you to document your accident and injury. If you were in a car accident, you need to record the physical and mental effects of the accident on you, your vehicle, and your passenger. This will help prove that the accident actually occurred. Then, you should continue writing about the progress of the injuries sustained and the medical treatment you need to receive.
What Your Journal Must Include
Your injury journal’s contents must include information on your injury that may help your claim. This includes the following:
- Detailed accident description. A personal injury claim may take months to resolve, so recording your accident may help you remember significant details. Your journal should include details such as where the accident took place, the actions of the liable party during and after the accident, witness contact information, weather condition, any hazards that may have caused the accident, and other details.
- Medical information. Your injury journal must also include information such as your prescribed treatment, doctors’ names, the seriousness of your injury, the kinds of medical tests you need to undergo, and the number of hospital visits.
- Your pain. You must also include your pain and suffering since you suffer from the injury, including where exactly you feel the pain, how serious it is, and how frequently you experience it.
- Impact on your life. Your injury journal must show the impact of your injury on your life.