If you are recovering from a severe injury, you are likely spending a lot of time at home, in bed. It can be hard to feel productive during times like these, and you may find yourself wondering how you can contribute to your personal injury case. One good way to contribute to your case is by keeping a pain, symptom, and treatment diary.
What is a Pain, Symptom, and Treatment Diary?
A pain, symptom, and treatment diary can take many forms. You may choose to keep a traditional, hand-written journal, a typed document, a detailed calendar, or a spreadsheet. In your diary, you would keep track of your pain and symptoms related to your injury, as well as the treatments you go through, and any appointments with your doctors and attorney.
What do I put in a Pain, Symptom, and Treatment Diary?
In your diary, you should make sure to be entirely honest. Lying about or exaggerating your symptoms can discredit you, harming your case. Instead, you should be truthful and detailed. For example, if you hurt your back in your accident, you will want to locate your pain: does it hurt your upper or lower back? What kind of pain: throbbing, aching, piercing? How badly: rate your pain on a scale of 1-10. Additionally, you should talk about how your injury impacts your everyday life. For example, did your back injury stop you from spending time with family? Has it impacted your ability to complete everyday tasks?
What is the Purpose?
There are lots of good reasons to keep a diary. For one, it is always a good idea to get your thoughts out. An injury can take a serious emotional toll and writing out your feelings is often a good coping mechanism. But, in terms of your personal injury claim, keeping a pain, symptom, and treatment diary can greatly benefit your case. When it comes down to it, you can show medical bills and other documents in order to quantify the financial toll your injury has taken. But what about the emotional and physical suffering you endure? You should be compensated for those burdens as well, but there is no special document that can quantify how badly you suffered emotionally. As a result, keeping a diary of your thoughts and feelings can help your attorney better understand what your injury has caused.
If you or a loved one has been injured due to the negligence of another party, contact us today to discuss your case.
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A personal injury accident can have a great impact on your life and your bank account. At Katter Law Firm, we believe that everyone should be held liable for his or her own negligence; you should not have to bear the burden of someone else’s mistakes. To learn more or to schedule a free consultation, visit us online or call us today!