In the weeks after a car accident, your recollection of events may fade long before the effects of your injuries. Our founding car accident attorney John Griffith explains how starting a journal immediately can be an enormous benefit to your personal injury case.
How to Keep an Injury Journal After a Car Accident
It is vital that you write down as much as you can throughout your recovery. You should keep a journal of all of the things that have happened to you, but also everything you are going through on a daily basis as a result of your accident. A few things that can be helpful in a journal include:
- A description of each day. It is one thing to say that your injury has left you depressed or unable to enjoy the things you used to do, but a description of each event that you missed has far more impact. Try to include a summary of each day with specific details that put your pain in context.
- Fears about the future. An injury can create a variety of difficulties, and each victim will have specific concerns about the future. Are you worried about bills piling up? Losing your job? Being unable to play sports or take vacations with your spouse? Write down your most pressing thoughts and how each one could impact your ability to lead the life you once did.
- The people you rely on. Many victims are forced to lean on family members or in-home medical specialists for extra help during their recoveries. A description of everything these people do (dress you, cook for you, help you in and out of cars, etc.) can show how your independence has been affected.
- Pictures. Photos can show details that you may have forgotten, such as an inability to walk without assistance or travel outside of your home. Photos taken with a cellphone are usually time-stamped, helping to show the progression of your injury.
Our lawyers provide injury clients with a free initial consultation and represent their interests on a contingent fee basis, meaning we do not collect anything unless we secure a recovery for you. To learn more about your claim, download a free copy of our book, The 10 Worst Mistakes You Can Make With Your Tennessee Injury Case.
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