One of the best things you can do after an accident is keep track of how your injuries have impacted your life in a post-accident journal. This journal will serve as proof to the insurance companies that your injuries were severe enough to negatively affect you in many ways.
To learn more about steps you should take after an accident, contact Belt, Bruner, & Barnett P.C. Our Alabama injury attorneys can offer guidance and legal advice. Call us today at (205) 933-1500 or use our online contact form.
How Often Should I Write in a Post-Accident Journal?
You should write in your post-accident journal daily. The information you record daily can be brief, but at least weekly you should take the time to write more details. Enjuris has published a sample Post-Accident Journal that offers information and guidelines for what should be included in the document.
You can either print out a post-accident journal or keep the information in your own format in a lined notebook. The format doesn’t matter. What is important is that you record how your accident is impacting your life.
Rate Your Pain Level Daily
You should keep track of your pain daily, rating it on a scale of one to 10, with one being the least amount of pain you’ve ever experienced and 10 being the most. If your pain changes throughout the day or with activity, record that information as well.
Detail The Symptoms You Experience
You should record all of the symptoms of your injuries after an accident. That might include pain, stiffness, dizziness, confusion, and more. Don’t forget to record mental and emotional symptoms you experience like anxiety and depression. Many people suffer both mental and physical symptoms after an accident.
Record How Your Daily Activities Are Affected
Make sure you keep details about what you can and cannot do because of your pain and other symptoms. For example, if you are unable to stand long enough to cook dinner or walk upstairs, you should write about that in your journal. By detailing how the accident has changed your life, you are explaining the severity of your symptoms to the insurance company.
Explain the Timing of Your Symptoms
You should keep track of the duration, time of day, and other details about when your symptoms affect your life. For example, write down how long you are able to stand before pain begins and how long that pain lasts. If you experience symptoms in the morning or evening, detail when they begin and if anything caused them to start.
Record Your OTC and Prescription Medications
You should detail the medications you must take to relieve symptoms caused by your injuries. Even if you take Ibuprofen, aspirin, or Tylenol, you should write down when you took it and the dosage. Prescription medications should be recorded in detail as well, including who prescribed them and why.
Record any side effects you experience from your medications. For example, if you’re unable to drive due to dizziness when you take prescribed narcotic pain medications, you should detail that issue. We will need to show the insurance company that even medications meant to relieve your symptoms can have a negative impact on your life.
Call Belt, Bruner, & Barnett P.C. With Questions About Your Next Steps
It can be difficult to know what to do after an accident. We won’t leave you alone. Belt, Bruner, & Barnett P.C. will walk you through the insurance claims process and gather all of the necessary evidence to support your case.
Call us today at (205) 933-1500 or use our online contact form.
