How can I prove how serious my injuries are?

As if suffering is serious injury from a car accident or another person‘s negligence isn’t bad enough, the entire personal injury legal process requires proving  the severity of your injuries.  The process of proving this can seem daunting, and it’s important that you have a legal team on your side who is ready to fight for you. Cohen and Winters is committed to providing their clients with the best personal injury representation and getting the most favorable outcome for your case. After all, you’ve suffered enough, now it’s time for you to have a team on your side.

When it comes to proving the extent of the injuries you’ve suffered, there are several artifacts and things that can be presented to support your case. From photographs of the accident to journals entries, to statements from family and friends, knowing what can be used and how to get these items to your attorney is critical to building your personal injury case.

Journaling

Journaling is a great way to work through the trauma you have faced. In addition to serving a therapeutic purpose, it can also serve as evidence that details the impact of your injuries, as well as your mental state after the accident and throughout your healing. Be sure to date your journal entries and be honest when journaling. Talk about your day, how you’re feeling, and what you might’ve gone through that triggered a certain emotion or thought.

When journaling you may want to document:

• Pain levels
• How you may need help with personal hygiene or toileting
• How tasks like cooking are harder than they used to be
• Any fears you might have about how your life has changed
• Inability to attend family events and holidays
• Any depression you may have developed

Witness Statements

Witness statements can be a powerful tool to document what was happening at the time of the accident, as well as how your life has changed. Family can testify to how much better your quality of life was before the accident, how it has changed, and how you may have had to rely on them to step in and help. However, be careful about not putting words in your potential witnesses’ mouth, or giving any appearance that you are telling them what to say. A good defense lawyer will try to make it look suspicious if you have talked to a witness about what they will say at trial. Better to have your legal team get the witnesses’ official statement.

Things they may testify to helping with includes:

• Meals
• Yardwork
• Housework
• Childcare
• Pet care
• Transportation

Photographs

Photos of your accident, as well as injuries will be an integral part of proving the extent of damage. These pictures might include damage to your vehicle, as well as your body. They should also include medical photographs, like x-rays, MRIs, and CAT scans. You may also want to include pictures of you living your day-to-day life and then pictures afterwards that document how you’re unable to perform tasks you used to. For example, you may have been able to carry your child and now you can’t. Showing a picture of you holding your child and then later unable to do so could highlight the physical and emotional trauma you’ve suffered.

Records

Medical as well as records of your day-to-day life are helpful to document where you were before the accident and where you were after. It’s important that you know which records could be helpful to your case and have the ability to quickly get them to your lawyer. Oftentimes, your lawyer can also do the legwork of tracking down these records as long as you provide information on where they can get them from.

Some examples of records to prove your injuries might include:

• Evidence that your doctor has put you on lifting restrictions and, as a result, you cannot lift your child.
• Prescriptions given to you to help with poor sleep because you’ve suffered insomnia or nightmares after your accident.
• Inability to drive for weeks at a time, resulting in a change of lifestyle and having to rely on others to do everyday tasks for you.
• Therapy records to document depression or other issues that developed after your accident.

If you need help with a personal injury case or just have questions, contact us for a free consultation. Our Manchester, New Hampshire personal injury attorneys are here to help you get the most favorable outcome to your case and find peace so that you can move on from your accident.

Category: Personal Injury

This post was written by Cohen and Winters