Managing Partner
From your personal relationships to your finances, an injury can affect every area of your life. Fortunately, if you’ve suffered an injury due to another’s negligent behavior, you may be entitled to financial compensation. However, to improve your odds of a successful outcome, it is important to gather as much evidence as possible. One piece of evidence that can prove extremely useful in a personal injury case is a pain diary. A pain diary, which documents multiple aspects of your injury, can give the insurance company and court an accurate description of the ways in which your injury has affected your life. In this article, we provide tips for keeping a pain diary after an accident in Long Island.
Initial Doctor Visit
The first thing you should do after suffering an injury is obtain medical attention. Not only will doing so ensure that you receive treatment for your injuries, but it will be useful in your subsequent legal claim. Following your initial visit with a doctor, you should immediately begin your pain diary. To start your diary, you should include the date of your appointment, the diagnosis provided to you by your doctor, and your symptoms.
Items to Include in Your Pain Diary
The are multiple items that you should include in your pain diary, including:
- The level of pain you are experiencing on a scale of one to ten, with ten being the most severe
- The length of time you’ve been experiencing pain from the accident
- The pain’s effects on your daily life
- A list of tasks you are unable to perform due to the pain
- The side effects of any medication you’ve been prescribed
- Mental changes you’ve experienced, including any depression or anxiety, due to the pain from your accident
- The length of time you’ve had to miss work due to the pain caused by the accident
In addition to the information above, you should gather other types of evidence about your accident, including:
- Photos and videos of your injuries
- Photos and videos of the scene of the accident
- Witness information, including names and contact information
Next Steps
Although starting a pain journal is a great way to start your road to recovery, the most important thing you can do after obtaining medical care for your injury is contact an experienced Long Island personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. When you contact an experienced personal injury lawyer for assistance, he or she will help you gather the evidence you need to present the strongest legal case possible.
Contact a Long Island Personal Injury Lawyer
If you’ve suffered an injury in Long Island, New York, the distinguished law firm of Dell & Dean, PLLC, is here to help you. After you contact us for an initial consultation, we will review your situation and formulate a case strategy that will give you the best odds of a successful outcome. Please contact us today to schedule a meeting with a personal injury lawyer.
