Documenting Your Accident Injury May Improve Your Chances of Collecting Compensation

Providing the right evidence can help your Murfreesboro personal injury lawyer build a stronger case

Immediately after you get in an accident, you are likely to feel disoriented, overwhelmed, and even afraid. Your first thoughts are going to be about whether anyone is hurt and determining the extent of your own injuries. There may be a lot of noise and a lot of people asking you a lot of questions. It can be chaos. Though it may be difficult to think clearly in the midst of such chaos, it is important that you act quickly to document your injuries so that you can make a stronger case against the responsible party. When you meet with a Murfreesboro personal injury lawyer, you will have evidence ready to start building the best case for compensation.

The first thing you need to do after your accident is to immediately seek medical attention. You need to have a doctor diagnose you, to confirm your injuries and to create a record of them.

Keep a copy of everything from that first visit. Your doctor will have a record that you can request at any time, but it will be easier to have that information on hand when you visit our attorney. Get a copy of any tests performed, x-rays, reports, or confirmed diagnoses.

Take pictures of your injuries when you are in the doctor’s office or when you get home. You may need to ask for assistance if your injuries are in a place that you cannot easily see, such as on the back of your head. Take pictures of even minor cuts and bruises, and make sure that there is a time stamp on all your photos. Your attorney may be able to use these photos in court to prove your claims.

You will likely need ongoing medical care after your accident. At a minimum, you will need to see a doctor for a follow-up visit. Maintain a file of records from all of your visits, such as receipts for payments, discharge papers, and medical correspondence. Also keep copies of any travel expenses, such as mileage driven to and from doctor’s offices and parking fees. All of these expenses may be reimbursable through your settlement.

Keep a diary of how you are feeling following your injury. The diary may document your day-to-day pain, or it may make note of how you are unable to move as freely or to perform your job as well as you did in the past. Make note of any symptoms that you experience, including the improvement of any symptoms. All of this information can be used in court to document the extent of your injuries and how they have impacted your daily life.

Finally, keep documentation that shows any loss of income. That can include pay stubs that show you are not able to work as many hours or that you have taken personal time. It can also include bank statements that show a lack of deposits or credit card bills showing that you have had to charge living expenses.