What Is An Injury Journal?
Keeping an injury journal (also known as an "injury diary") is when an injury victim keeps a daily log or journal that documents their physical and mental suffering since their accident. By doing this they can greatly assist their attorney in the preparation and progression of their personal injury case.
What To Write In Your Injury Journal
How You Feel Physically and Mentally
Physical pain is frequently accompanied by mental and emotional distress. Often, they feed off each other, and this can have a profound effect on you. As you record your feelings in your injury journal, it is important that you be forthcoming in your descriptions of what you are feeling, both physically and mentally. It is equally important to be specific and to maintain as upbeat an attitude as possible.
Be as detailed as possible. Saying you can’t eat is far more open to question than saying that when you ate breakfast you were unable to keep it down. In the same vein, it is far more precise to say that if you put weight on your leg or your knee gives out than to say that you can’t walk.
Rather than a direct statement of “can” or “can’t,” a description of what happens when you do this or that is far more useful and can assist you during cross-questioning.
As you describe pain, emphasize what you are doing about it rather than dwelling on how much it hurts you. Describe the steps you are taking to minimize your discomfort as much as you can, any lifestyle changes you have made to adapt to your condition, and any future changes you intend to make in order to compensate for the restrictions your condition has imposed upon you.
Economic Distress
Make sure that you retain any and all financial records that document any loss of wages, income or ability to earn that has resulted from your injury. Such forms as pay stubs, W-2 or other tax-related documents, etc., serve as documentation that your injury has adversely impacted your ability to make a living. Your lawyer can be of assistance if you do not have these records as they can obtain them with authorization from you.
You should also record in your injury diary or on a calendar any days that you were unable to go to work, whether because you were too ill or for some other reason related to your injury. You will need to explain what your symptoms were and why they prevented you from working and document what the loss of the time cost you in wages or benefits.
Have Questions? Contact Your Attorney!
If you're concerned that you aren't providing enough detail in your injury diary, or you're worried that you may be leaving something out, reach out to our team at Canan Law today by calling (904) 849-2266 or by contacting us online.
