photos are not the only form of documentation you can have for a personal injury claimNot knowing what is considered sufficient documentation of an injury from an car accident is a common point of concern for many of our personal injury attorney's clients. The most important thing to know is that this documentation or evidence doesn't only include photos of the wreck or injury. The four most suggested forms of documentation that will suffice during a personal injury case are as follows:
  1. Take Pictures of your injury at the scene of the accident. Then keep on taking picture! Most people underreport the extent of their injuries, or else their description at depositions and trial do not fully and accurately describe how they actually felt at the time. Pictures on the other hand, clearly demonstrate the extent of lacerations, bruising and scarring. They make it easier for a jury to understand how the person felt in the days immediately following the accident, when the pain was so significant that they could not sleep through the night.
  2. Keep A Contemporaneous Journal. We recommend that people keep a journal to document their first few weeks of recovery after an accident. Perhaps nothing is more compelling at trial than having a car accident victim read aloud from their journal, recounting the terrible first few weeks after an injury when their world has been turned upside down.
  3. Keep Crutches, Casts, and Torn Clothes. Casts can be used to show the extent of inconvenience a plaintiff suffered. The same applies to crutches and walking boots. When your cast is removed, keep it! If your case goes to trial, you can show these items to the jury.
  4. FOLLOW UP WITH MEDICAL TREATMENTS. Your claim rests on documentation from a medical professional. If you are prescribed a course of treatment which you ignore, you will not only fail to get better, but also have less chance of your claim succeeding. Ending medical treatment early because you are “too busy” can lead to reemerging injuries and pain later in life.

Documentation Aside, Hire a Personal Injury Attorney

After a car crash or trucking accident, your first thought is likely not to take photos of everything. In fact, you probably aren't thinking about much at all, given the shock of the event. Ideally, once everything settles, you will gain the presence of mind to begin documenting and keeping track of the above mentioned four types of evidence you can collect. This will certainly help your claim as your personal injury lawyer can review everything while building out the case. However, even if you do not have this evidence, contacting a lawyer is an important step in fighting for compensation for your damages.

At Brooks & Crowley LLP, our personal injury team is ready to assist you. Whether you've been hit by a truck, collided with a car, struck by a motorcycle or been involved in any other form of serious accident, our injury lawyers are here. We have offices throughout Eastern Massachusetts in Dedham, Boston and Norwell.

Neil P. Crowley
Personal injury attorney for vehicle and construction accident, premises liability and wrongful death cases.