Why and How To Keep a Journal After a Florida Car Accident
One of the most crucial things you can do after a Florida car accident is to keep a journal about your accident and injuries. Keeping a journal can help strengthen your car accident case. It can help protect your rights and ensure you have thorough documentation as you navigate the claims process. When an insurance company is evaluating a car accident claim, they look at all the facts to make their decision. Having a journal with relevant details to present to the at-fault party’s insurance company can be very good for your case. Below, we discuss why and how to keep a journal after a Florida car accident.
Why Keep a Journal After a Florida Car Accident?
Keeping a journal after a Florida car accident is crucial for, among others, the following reasons;
- Recording your memory: Over time, memories can fade, and you may forget the details of your accident. Yet, recalling the details about your accident is crucial when trying to prove liability in a car accident case. Writing down the details of your accident in a journal as soon as you are able ensures you record your memory of the accident when it is still fresh in your mind.
- Documenting your injuries and recovery process: Keeping a journal allows you to record your pain levels, any changes in your condition, and your emotional state. This is vital for showing how the accident has affected you.
- Tracking damages: Keeping a journal after a car accident can help you track medical expenses and other damages. If you record all the costs and losses incurred due to your injury daily, you will have clear evidence of your damages.
- Documenting how your injury has impacted your life: In your journal, you can describe exactly how your injury has affected your daily life, including which daily activities you can no longer perform and how your relationships have been affected. Tracking how your injury has affected you in non-financial ways can help quantify non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life.
How To Keep a Journal After a Florida Car Accident
When it comes to keeping a journal after a car accident, here is how to do it;
- Begin as early as possible: Do not wait to start journaling. Ensure you note down the details of your accident as soon as possible after your accident. The more you wait, the less accurate and comprehensive your account will be since memories fade over time.
- Schedule regular writing time: Update your journal regularly, for example, once a day or even more than once a day. This ensures you don’t miss anything.
- Be as detailed as possible: Your entries should be as detailed as possible. The more the details, the better. Note the date, time, location, and other relevant information about your accident. Record specific symptoms, daily pain levels, and daily emotions.
- Stick to facts: Be honest in your journal and avoid exaggerations.
- Use a consistent format: For example, if you choose a physical notebook, stick to that format to make it easy to access all your entries when needed.
Contact a Lakeland, FL, Car Accident Attorney
Need to speak to a Florida car accident attorney? Contact our qualified Lakeland car accident attorneys at Darla K. Snead, P.L.
