3 Important Elements to Include in Your Personal Injury Journal

Whether you were hurt in a slip and fall, a car wreck, or bitten by a dog, keeping a personal injury journal might be crucial to the success of your claim. However, without a thoughtful and structured approach, this diary could just become dead weight. 

In this article, we examine a few items you should always include in your personal injury journal and explain how your attorney might use your entries to prove certain aspects of your claim: 

Description of the Accident 

As part of your first entry, you should write down everything you can remember about the accident that caused your injury. Try to write this entry chronologically, starting from the moments just before the collision, and answering questions such as: What did the at-fault party/parties say and do in the immediate aftermath? Did anyone else see the accident happen? Did you notice any surveillance cameras at the accident scene? Did police arrive to investigate the accident? Did you visit the doctor afterwards? The answers to these questions could help your attorney plan their investigation and identify important evidence that might help support your claim.  

Log Your Pain Levels 

Even minor injuries can lead to severe pain, and more serious conditions can often cause debilitating agony. In California, you have a right to seek compensation for the ways in which your injury has affected your emotional well-being—including the hurt you’ve suffered since the wreck. However, as there are no invoices for pain, you may need to use many different types of evidence to demonstrate the intangible effects of your condition. Describing and grading your pain levels in a personal injury journal is an effective way to communicate the suffering you’ve endured.  

Whenever you experience pain, you should describe the location, duration, and severity of these sensations. Your attorney may use these entries in conjunction with psychiatric reports, expert witness deposition, and eyewitness statements to help build a case for non-economic damages.  

Describe Your Limitations 

Whether your injuries prevented you from working, impeded your ability to tackle household chores, or left you unable to live independently, you should always document your limitations as part of your journal entries. Ultimately, your journal will help provide context for your medical records, giving a judge or jury a window into the many ways your condition has affected your everyday life. For example, if you are unable to drive because of a leg injury, you should note this down and explain why your condition has made it impossible for you to perform this basic task. 

Discuss Your Case with a Personal Injury Lawyer in California Today 

A personal injury journal may be one of just many types of evidence you will need to prove your claim. However, tackling the task of building a personal injury case alone can be a daunting prospect, so it may be in your best interests to seek out representation.  

At HPIL, our skilled personal injury lawyers can grab the reins, helping you gather the necessary evidence to prove your claim. Reach out to us at 1-800-GO-HARRIS or click through to our contact page HERE to request a free consultation.