Take Notes After an Accident or Injury
The Importance of Taking Notes After Motor Vehicle Accidents in Pennsylvania
After you’ve been injured in an accident, you should start taking notes about what happened and your injuries. These notes can be useful months down the road if you start to pursue a legal claim for your injuries. This is because relying on notes taken as close to the fact as possible will be much easier than trying to rely on your memory because, unfortunately, memories fade and become distorted over time.
As you recover from your injuries, remember to take notes about anything that you think may be relevant to your personal injury claim.
Take Notes About Your Accident
An accident can be a shocking, traumatic experience. However, it’s important to create a written record of what you remember as quickly as possible while the memories of your accident are still fresh in your mind. Once the shock of your accident has worn off, try to write down everything you can remember about what happened. Try to include important details such as:
- What you were doing when the accident happened
- Where you were going
- The time of day
- The weather, if the accident occurred outside
- Who you were with
- What you saw, heard, smelled
- Sensations you felt in your body right before, during, and right after the accident
- What witnesses to the accident said
In many injury claims the defense tries to argue that the injured party’s memory has faded or changed since the accident and therefore his or her testimony is not reliable. Having a written record of the accident taken down as soon as possible after it occurred will give you evidence for your claim that the other side can’t argue has faded or changed over time.
Take Notes About Your Injuries
As you recover from your injuries, you should take detailed notes about the specific details of your injuries and the pain, discomfort, and symptoms you experience, including:
- Where you experience pain
- What kind of pain you experience (i.e., sharp, dull, burning, stabbing)
- When you experience pain and what you’re doing when you experience pain
- Whether you notice decreased flexibility or range of motion
- Whether you notice an inability to sit, stand, lie down, etc. for extended periods
Taking notes about your injuries is important for two reasons. One, it will help you to fully and accurately describe the extent of your injuries if you need to make a legal claim for compensation. Two, it will help your doctors and attorneys understand how your injuries have developed and whether they may be related to your accident or not. If a severe issue manifests itself months after your accident, the other side may try to claim that it wasn’t caused by your accident – detailed notes about your injuries and physical symptoms may be critical to show that the issue actually started right after your accident.
Take Notes About Your Expenses and Other Losses
In addition to compensation for medical expenses, you may be entitled to compensation for economic and social losses caused by your accident and subsequent injuries. Ideally you should take notes about economic opportunities you’ve missed out on due to your injuries, such as:
- Time missed from work
- Business meetings or trips missed
- Classes missed
Also note social activities you’ve missed out on due to your injuries, like family trips, or recreational activities you used to do before your accident. You may be entitled to some compensation for missing out on them.
Contact a Pittsburgh Personal Injury Lawyer to Discuss Your Accident or Injury Case in Pennsylvania
Did you or a loved one sustain serious injuries due to a car accident or slip and fall in Pennsylvania? Don’t let the medical bills pile up while you wait for the negligent party or their insurance company to do the right thing. Right now, you need an aggressive personal injury attorney on your side, fighting to get you the compensation you need, want, and deserve. The skilled attorneys at Berger & Lagnese, LLC represent clients injured because of an accident or other type of personal injury in Pittsburgh, Cranberry Township, New Castle, Uniontown, and throughout Pennsylvania. Call (412) 471-4300 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free consultation about your case. We have an office conveniently located at 310 Grant St., #720, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.
The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.