A catastrophic injury can change your routine, your ability to work and the way you depend on others. Those changes may continue long after the initial treatment, making it difficult to remember every detail as time passes. Keeping a record as your recovery continues can help preserve important information about how the injury affects your life, which is important if you are filing a personal injury claim.
Here are the areas worth documenting after a catastrophic injury.
Treatment and recovery records
Keep track of your treatment, rehabilitation and changes in your condition throughout your recovery. Record:
- Medical appointments and procedures
- Rehabilitation sessions and other ongoing care
- Changes in symptoms or physical abilities
- New treatment needs or limitations
Under New York CPLR 3043, certain personal injury actions can include supplemental details about continuing special damages and disabilities. Having these details organized can make it easier to provide additional information as your case progresses.
Changes to daily activities
Document the everyday tasks you can no longer perform or now need help completing. Personal care, household chores, hobbies and mobility can all show how the injury has changed your routine. Specific examples can help demonstrate the difference between your life before the injury and your circumstances now.
Work and financial effects
Keep records of how the injury affects your work and the expenses you face because of it. This can include:
- Missed work or reduced hours
- Changes to your job duties or ability to work
- Injury-related expenses
- Ongoing costs that arise during recovery
These details can help account for losses that extend beyond the initial medical treatment.
Care and assistance needs
Record the help you need from family members, caregivers or others. Note what tasks require assistance and how often you need that help. This information can show how an injury has affected your independence and created ongoing support needs.
Keep track of the changes
A catastrophic injury can affect your health, routine, work and independence in ways that continue to develop over time. Keep your records together and update them as those changes occur. You can also review what you have documented with an attorney to determine which information may help support your personal injury claim.