Why You Should Keep a Diary After a Car Accident to Support Your Claim

After being injured in a car accident you may be unable to work and are facing months or even years of recovery. During this time, it's important to document your daily struggles, including how your injuries have impacted your life, your physical limitations, and how often you're experiencing pain. If you're pursuing compensation, you must prove not only that the other driver was at fault, but that the injuries you were left with have changed your life in many ways, causing pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of quality of life. Keeping a journal after a car accident can provide the proof you need to recover the settlement you deserve.

What is a Post-Auto Accident Diary?

A post-accident diary is a personal journal that an accident victim can use to document the details of the motor vehicle collision and how the accident has impacted their life.

Your attorney will offer the journal as evidence to support your claim and prove your demand for damages.

Economic and non-economic damages can include:

• Pain and suffering
• Past and future medical costs
• Loss of earning capacity
• Loss of consortium
• Property damage
• Lost wages

And more.

Your attorney will use your diary to demonstrate to the court or the insurance company, the value of your damages.

A post-accident diary can help prove:

• The cost of medical care
• The injuries you suffered
• The extent of your injuries
• The extent of property damage
• How your injuries have impacted your quality of life
• How your injuries have affected your ability to work
• How your injuries have caused ongoing pain and emotional distress

And much more.

What Should I Document in My Post-Accident Journal?

Even if you suffered only minor injuries, those injuries can be difficult to diagnose, slow to heal, and expensive to treat. Typically, it can take weeks or months to make a full recovery from mild injuries, while life-changing injuries can require years of ongoing medical care. During this time, you may be unable to work as your injuries heal.

Maintaining an accurate record of your pain, challenges, the medical treatment you've received, and the expenses incurred after a car crash is crucial.

A post-accident diary can serve many important functions, such as:

Preserving Your Memory of the Events

When a person is involved in a traumatic event, such as a motor vehicle collision, it can be difficult to recall what happened. An accident often takes a person by surprise. If the accident victim is scared, disoriented, and injured after the accident, they may not have the ability to remember important details regarding the car crash, as time goes on. While a person remembers that the event occurred, they are often unable to remember important details. Memories can also fade over time. When trying to prove fault, remembering details regarding the collision can often make or break a case.

Recording these details as soon as possible following a crash is the best way to preserve these important memories. After several months, an accident victim may not be able to recall road conditions or weather conditions at the time of the crash, or what actions led up to the collision. By writing down as many details as possible after an accident, a person can preserve these memories, which an experienced car accident lawyer can use to support their client's claim for damages.

Showing How the Accident Has Impacted Your Life

To prove your demand for non-economic damages for pain and suffering, loss of quality of life, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, etc., you must keep detailed records of how the accident and your injuries have affected your life.

If you sustained severe injuries, document in your journal the recovery process, how often you're in pain, what level of pain you're experiencing (on a scale of 1-10), and how your injuries are affecting you emotionally. You may experience intense anxiety when you recall the events of the accident, or if you're unable to return to work and struggling to pay your medical bills and household bills. You may experience depression due to your inability to work, or because the injuries you've suffered have left you unable to take care of yourself. Detailing how the accident and your injuries have affected you can help your attorney prove your demand for non-economic damages.

What Information Should I Record in My Car Accident Diary?

Relevant information that you should record in your accident journal includes:

The circumstances prior to the collision. Record everything you remember about the events that led up to the accident, were there any pedestrians near the scene? What were the weather conditions like? Was there heavy traffic? Was anyone speaking on their phone while driving?

Resulting damage. Describe the vehicle damage sustained. Include pictures of the damage done to your vehicle and other vehicles involved.

Condition of the other driver. Note if the other driver seemed intoxicated, angry, distracted, or emotional. Document what the driver did and said following the car crash. Also, note if the driver appears to be injured.

Injuries. Your journal should include a description and explanation of your injuries. Include a daily description of your injuries, your recovery, and any pain, discomfort, or challenges you experience.

Medical treatment. Keep a log of any surgeries, doctor's appointments, and medical procedures you receive. This should include the date and time of all doctor's appointments.

Pain and suffering. As mentioned earlier, you should document how often you're in pain throughout the day and be sure to describe the pain and rate the level of pain on a scale from 1-10.

Recovery. If you're undergoing physical therapy or occupational therapy, include this information in your journal and note how often you go, how you feel during treatment, whether treatment is helpful, and whether your condition has improved due to ongoing treatment.

Limitations. You must show how your injuries have prevented you from carrying out daily activities, such as working, driving, shopping, lifting your child, dressing, or caring for yourself independently. Describe how your injuries have prevented you from participating in the activities you once loved, which will demonstrate your loss of enjoyment of life.

Contact Us Today!

If you were involved in an auto accident that was caused by a negligent motorist, contact the auto accident lawyers at MVP Accident Attorneys today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation. Our accident attorneys have extensive experience handling complex auto accident claims and know how to build a strong case that can help you recover compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and more.