Personal Injury Lawsuits and the Importance of Keeping a Journal

Being injured in any kind of an accident is always an overwhelming experience. Not only do you have a lot of pain to cope with, you need to deal with treating your injuries and suddenly may be unable to work or go about your day-to-day life. So many things need to be dealt with that it can be hard to keep everything straight.

But when your injuries are serious enough for you to consider filing a personal injury lawsuit, one of the best things you can do is keep a journal detailing everything that pertains to your accident and the injuries that followed. While it may be frustrating to keep a journal on top of everything else you need to do, having that record could be very important to your case.

Since accidents are so overwhelming, it’s easy to forget about some of the details while you’re in the midst of it all. Even people with good memories might forget about which date a phone call was made or what exactly was discussed during a visit with a doctor. But keeping a journal is an excellent way to keep track of everything that a lawyer would need to build your case.

While keeping a journal, be sure to take notes about how your injury impacts your life. Write down how you feel every day and note how much pain you are in. If your injury makes it impossible for you to do something, or if it makes it more difficult for you to do something, that is a very important thing to record. For example, an injury might make it either impossible or very painful for someone to drive a car or get dressed by themselves. Is there an event you had been looking forward to attending, but weren’t able to because of your injury? Also, be sure to record any notable progress you make during recovery.

After an accident, you’ll also likely have lots of doctor appointments. When you spend so much time getting medical treatment, the details about each individual visit can start to blend together in your mind. As you write in your journal, be sure to record things like the date of each visit, the name of the doctor you saw, what was discussed during your appointment, and any treatments or tests that were given during the appointment. If you’ve been any prescribed medication, keep track of which medications you’re taking.

Beyond these things, it’s also a good idea to keep notes about any other conversations you have about your accident, particularly if those conversations involve the person responsible who caused your accident or the lawyer/insurance company representing the responsible party. Ideally, it’s best to let a lawyer handle those kinds of conversations, but if you talk to them before you contact a lawyer, make notes of who you spoke to, what was discussed, and the time and date of the conversation.

After an accident, a detailed record of your injuries can be one of the most valuable tools a personal injury lawyer can have while handling your case. At the Law Offices of Goodwin & Scieszka, we handle a wide range of Michigan personal injury cases, including car accidents, dog bites, slip and fall accidents, and more. Contact us today for help with your case.