3 Tips for Creating a Pain Diary after Your Personal Injury

Each year, thousands of Florida residents are hospitalized due to a personal injury. Adults aged 65 and older were the most susceptible to these accidents, but there are many reports of individuals of all ages experiencing serious personal injury accidents. In 2018, there were 173,040 fatalities related to unintentional injuries. Between slip-and-falls, car accidents, and work-related injuries, individuals living in South Florida are familiar with just how serious these incidents can be and how much damage they can produce for a victim and their family.

After experiencing an accident or related event that results in a personal injury, either for you or someone you care about, one of the most vital steps to take is keeping track of the physical and mental symptoms that appear due to the incident. This is referred to as a “pain journal” or “pain diary,” and it can help you in a variety of different ways, especially if you are looking to take your case to court and obtain compensation for your pain and suffering.

1. Create Your Pain Diary to Suit Your Needs

There is no right or wrong way to create a pain diary. In most cases, when a victim is asked to record their symptoms after a personal injury accident, it is used in a lawsuit or a court case rather than acting as an official medical document. This means that there is no formal or standard way of sharing your physical and mental symptoms after an accident.

Some individuals who have experienced a personal injury accident use their phones to take photos of themselves as they recover. This is useful because it provides a concrete way to record the date and time of that moment in the recovery process and shows how well an injury is healing. The same can be said for victims who choose to create a video pain diary, as it is easier to show a full scope of view for larger injuries.

Many people write down their pain levels each day in addition to taking photos and videos, rating their discomfort from 1 to 10, or following their own personal scale. This can be done as either a digital diary or written down in a physical notebook.

2. Record Your Injuries and Related Medications

Even if you have already taken photos or videos of your injuries from the accident, adding them to your pain diary is a great way to ensure that you have evidence of how your physical symptoms worsened over time, in addition to how long they lasted. Injuries like bruises may get worse before they get better, and this information will be useful to both your doctor and your personal injury case.

If you are unable to get photos of your injuries due to physical discomfort or impairment, ask a family member or a loved one to assist you. Ensure that the photos are clear and that they display the full physical area where you are hurt. For injuries that create limited mobility, videos of the impact these injuries have can also be useful.

3. Write Down Everything, No Matter How Small

When creating a pain diary, one of the best practices you can have is to record every detail of discomfort and pain that you experience. Even if the sensation feels “small” to you, like a headache or shoulder pain, it should still be written down in your pain diary. Certain injuries can lead to larger complications, which can be difficult to catch or assess early on if the victim does not report them.

Be as descriptive with your feelings as possible. Not only will this information help you show the jury how much discomfort you experienced, but it will also indicate the level of severity for your symptoms and how long they lasted. Be sure to note when the symptoms first appeared and when they felt the most severe.

Contact an Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer in South Florida

Personal injury accidents can be severe and life-changing, especially in South Florida. Here at Baker Legal, our team of trusted and skilled professionals understands just how important it is to obtain the compensation that you need and deserve. We will work with you to develop a strong case and help you seek justice for your pain and suffering.

When you’re ready to move forward with your personal injury case, contact the professionals at Baker Legal by calling 561-320-0000 or reaching out to us online to find out more information.