Even if you work in a physically demanding industry, nobody expects to suffer an injury on the job. Because we’re not expecting to get injured, we often don’t know the best steps to take in the event that we do suffer an injury. Getting medical attention, reporting the injury to your supervisors and contacting a lawyer are good initial steps, but where do you go after that? One important step that we recommend our clients take if to start an injury journal.
Injury journals are beneficial for a number of different reasons, all of which serve to help strengthen your injury claim. In today’s blog, we explain what you should document in your injury journal, and how it can help you get the biggest claim award possible.
What To Keep In An Injury Journal
Here are a number of things you should document in your injury journal, and why they are important to track.
1. Your Version of Events – One of the most helpful aspects of an injury journal is that it allows you to write down your recollection of events while they are still fresh in your head. The sooner you document your recollection of the accident, the more accurate your details will be. If the insurance company or your lawyer needs information about the accident, you’ll have clear evidence as to what happened on the day of the accident. This is especially important if you suffered a head injury that could impact your memory.
2. Changes In Injury – You also want to document your injuries and how they change over time. Hopefully pain decreases over time, but if things get worse or you begin to feel new pain, write this down so you can bring it up to your lawyer or doctor. Many workers find it helpful to rank their pain on a 1-10 scale each day and to document what tasks or activities were inhibited by pain.
3. Conversations – It’s also helpful to write down information about conversations you had pertaining to your case. If you talked to your lawyer or the insurance company, document the date, time and subject of the call. This way if there are conflicting stories, you’ll have a documented record of when you spoke to someone and what the conversation was about. Even if it doesn’t seem that important, make a note of it in your journal if it involved your injury.
4. Related Expenses – You can actually get compensation for a number of expenses related to your injury. For example, you can get reimbursed for mileage to and from doctor appointments, if you bought crutches or a knee scooter to help you get around, or for other expenses that you incurred due in part to your injury. Document your mileage and expenses so you can get compensation for every penny you deserve.
5. Daily Struggles – Finally, if your injury is impacting your daily life, be sure to document how you’re being affected both physically and emotionally. This can help your lawyer determine how much compensation they should be seeking, so don’t try to hide your pain or ignore it. Document your daily struggles and bring them to the attention of your lawyer so you can maximize your compensation.
If you have any questions about starting an injury journal or what to do with your injury case, reach out to the experienced lawyers at Hey Workers today.
