When it comes to a personal injury case, proof is important. You can show proof of your injury and you can show proof of the financial toll it has taken on you. You can present your medical bills, but how do you prove the physical, mental, and emotional toll? One way to tackle this issue is with a pain, symptom, and treatment diary.
What is a Pain, Symptom, and Treatment diary?
A pain, symptom, and treatment diary is a diary in which you can keep track of your symptoms related to your injury. It can take the form of a traditional, hand-written diary, a typed document, a spreadsheet, a detailed calendar, etc. You can use whatever method works best for you. A pain, symptom, and treatment diary can help your attorney better understand your injury and the ways it has impacted you.
What Should I Put in it?
When it comes to a pain, symptom, and treatment diary, the most important thing to remember is to be honest. Aside from that, there are no rules. If you exaggerate, embellish, or lie about the extent of your injuries, you run the risk of losing your credibility. Instead, you should be truthful and thorough. You should pinpoint your pain: what hurts and where? Describe the pain: throbbing, piercing, aching? Rate it on a scale of 1-10. Another important aspect is describing how you are impacted by the pain. For example, if you were up all night in pain, write that down. If you were in too much pain to play with your kids, clean the house, go to work– these are all things you would want to record in your diary.
A pain, symptom, and treatment diary can benefit both you and your attorney. It can help your attorney understand your case and quantify the physical and emotional toll your injury has taken. But, it can also be a great help to you to discuss your feelings. Additionally, it will allow you to keep detailed records over the course of the trial. For example, you can use it to keep track of your doctor’s appointments, meeting with attorneys, and use it to refer back to when asked a question.
If you or a loved one has been injured due to another party’s negligence you may be entitled to compensation. Reach out to our firm today to discuss your case.
CONTACT OUR EXPERIENCED WESTCHESTER COUNTY FIRM
Hausman & Pendzick effectively represent victims of negligence in Westchester County and across the state of New York. We understand how challenging life can be without financial compensation for serious injuries you have wrongly sustained. If you need a knowledgeable and skilled personal injury attorney to help you recover compensation after an accident, contact Hausman & Pendzick today.