What to Include in Your Pain Journal

by: Nicole T. Sanzo

Personal injury claims are solidified by the documents that are provided like police reports and medical records. However, a personal injury journal can strengthen your claim because it can show a detailed chronological account of your recovery process. This helps to create a narrative for the insurance company and allows them to see the full extent of your injuries, not just what the doctors are saying in the medical records.

A personal injury journal can help paint a picture of both your physical and emotional suffering from your perspective.

Key Items to Include

Accident Details: Record the date, time, and location of the accident. Record the weather and road conditions. Describe any specific details of the accident.

Description of Pain and Discomfort: Note the location of the pain, the type (sharp, throbbing, dull, etc.), the level (scale of 1-10), any triggers that cause the pain to be worse or cause the pain to occur and how long it lasts. Note the location of discomfort, the type (numbness, tingling, burning, itching, etc.), any triggers that cause the discomfort, and how long it lasts.

Photograph Physical Injuries: Take photos of bruising, lacerations, scarring, use of mobility aids or other medical devices.

Medical Treatment: Document every visit to doctors, physical therapists, chiropractors, urgent cares, and any other doctor you see for treatment related to your incident. Detail any testing provided or recommended like X-rays or MRIs. Detail treatments, medications, and restrictions.

Work Missed and Lost Wages: If your injury keeps you out of work, record all the dates you have missed, whether PTO was used or not, and the earnings you have lost.

Daily Impact: Detail the impact on your daily life. What limitations with daily tasks are you experiencing. Including but not limited to walking, doing laundry, getting dressed, or taking care of your family.

Emotional Impact: Are you concerned about how the incident will affect your future or your quality of life? Have you experienced anxiety or depression?

Tips for an Effective Journal

1. Date all entries.
2. Be consistent. Write in the journal daily or as frequently as possible to help create a consistent timeline of your pain, treatment, and recovery.
3. Be specific and detailed. This is where you can describe your feelings and relay what your body was going through during treatment and recovery.
4. Do not exaggerate. The journal can be used to help establish your credibility. Stick to the truth.
5. Keep it private. Do not post on social media or share it with anyone other than your personal injury attorney.

Control your narrative by creating a personal injury journal. Speak to our Slaughter & Lupton Law legal team and let us help you take the necessary steps to get the compensation you deserve.

Nicole Sanzo is a personal injury attorney at Slaughter & Lupton Law, PLLC. Trust her to take your injury case to the next level. Learn more about Nicole on her Attorney Profile.