How to Document Your Personal Injury Case

Your personal injury claim is your right to full and fair recovery after being in a bad accident that was not your fault. You need that claim to be as strong, thorough, and informative as it can be to convince insurance representatives, judges, and/or juries that you deserve every last penny of possible compensation. To give your case the best chance at doing just that, it needs to be well-documented, start-to-finish, front-to-back.

This point is worth repeating: your personal injury case needs to be well-documented.

Here are 10 quick tips to make documenting and then managing your personal injury case easier:

1. There is no such thing as too much information: The more documentation you can get about or for your personal injury case, the better – seriously. Your attorney will never be bothered by having more evidence to use for your argument.
2. Your doctor should document everything, too: You aren’t the only one in charge of documenting key details of your case. Your doctor should be thoroughly documenting your injuries in your medical record.
3. Accept your own emotional trauma: Serious accidents leave people emotionally traumatized or in a state of shock. When documenting your health, be sure to include how you are feeling mentally because that is as important as your physical health.
4. Get different perspectives: Talk with the people closest to you to see if they have noticed any changes in you since your accident that you might not have. Alternate perspectives can be surprisingly revealing.
5. Be mindful of false information: When documenting your injuries, you might be tempted to research them yourself, too. Be careful. There is plenty of false information out there. It is best to leave such questions and answers to your medical provider.
6. Digitize what you can: Documenting your injuries and details of your case in a journal is useful, but why stop there? Digitize what you can to create a secondary source in case your paper copies are damaged or go missing.
7. Hire an attorney: It’s worth it to ensure full and fair compensation. If you hire a personal injury attorney, they can help with documenting your case as well. Your lawyer will want to organize your case as best they can for their own use. You can then compare-contrast notes, even.
8. Speak with multiple lawyers: The lawyer you choose should have trial results to prove they are the best. You may need to go to court to get full compensation, or at least have the insurance company know you will. Before signing an attorney to represent you, be sure to talk to other local attorneys if you are having any doubts about the first. It never hurts to know your options, even if you return to your first choice.
9. Set representation expectations: Every lawyer approaches casework differently. Be sure that your attorney understands that you are looking for someone capable of going to trial and strategizing your case and preparing for litigation. Some lawyers only work on cases that they know can be settled quickly.
10. When in doubt, don’t stop documenting: Hiring an attorney is a huge step in the right direction for your injury claim, but it doesn’t mean you are done documenting things. Until you have money in your bank account from a successful verdict or settlement, don’t stop documenting everything you can.

When Should You Start Documenting? Today!

The moment after your accident is the first moment you should start documenting as much about your case as possible. In fact, some of the most useful information will be found right there at the scene of your accident and nowhere else. If you haven’t started documenting your case in sharp detail yet, then today is the day to begin!

Were you in an accident in Texas? Howry, Breen & Herman, LLP and our highly organized and experienced personal injury attorneys can help you make the most of your case by keeping everything in order from start to finish. Call (512) 430-4844 or contact us onlineto learn more about our services.