Personal Injury Checklist
If you or your loved ones are injured, it is extremely important for you to gather and keep as much information and documentation related to the event for your attorney to use in your case. Jenny Parks has compiled a number of examples for you:
Personal Injury Journal (Pain & Suffering)
Keep an ongoing journal of how your injury (or your loved one’s injury) has impacted your life since day one, including things like absences from work or changes in behavior as a result of the accident. Don’t forget to include how your injury has affected your relationships or the daily routine, including pain, suffering & humiliation.
Pictures and Video
If you are capable of taking pictures and/or video of the damages incurred during the accident, keep those for use in your case. Also, keep a visual record throughout the healing process to help prove damage to you or your loved one.
Medical Bills
An important factor in the value of a personal injury case is determined by how much medical costs were incurred after the accident. Your attorney or the insurance adjuster will try to estimate the damages of the incident and they will be looking at medical bills and diagnoses. Plan to share all of this information with your attorney.
Medical Records
If medical help is needed (which is highly advisable if you have been injured in an accident), keep all medical records, diagnostics, detailed notes and bills from your doctor visits.
Police Report
If the police were summoned to the scene of the accident, it is important to obtain and keep all police reports and responding officer/detective information. Collect their names, phone numbers and badge numbers in addition to any and all case numbers associated with the incident.
Insurance Claims on A Car Accident
Your attorney should get copies of all medical and auto insurance claims associated with the incident.
Financial Documents and Financial Receipts
Proving lost wages is imperative…time missed from school…workers' compensation filings…unpaid bills or other financial hardships caused by your injury. Keep a log of all of your out-of-pocket expenses and receipts related to your injury, including medicine, supplies, services, repairs to your vehicle, or replacement costs or repairs to any other personal property damaged or lost in the accident.
As soon as you are physically able to do so, write down anything and everything that you recall about the accident…what you were doing…where you were going…passengers with you…the time and weather. Include each detail that you observed, heard, and experienced. Remember to include anything that you heard from potential witnesses to the accident.
