Journal of events and complaints.

Under the advice of a qualified attorney you may wish to keep a journal of events to share with your attorney including the following:

(1) Your pain and suffering.

(2) Any disabilities.

(3) Activities that you were unable to do or do with difficulty that you were able to do before the incident.

Please keep a daily or weekly journal of the events of your case and any complaints you have because of your injuries. Your journal should start on the date of the incident.  Please date your entries in your journal. In addition to the events surrounding the incident, please write in details about (1) your pain and suffering, (2) any disabilities, and (3) activities that you were unable to do or do with difficulty that you were able to do before the incident.

Lost wages and lost earnings.

Please keep an accurate record of all days lost from work because of your injuries. Please report to your attorney the names and addresses of all employers from whom you have lost wages. If you are self employed, obtain records that will verify your lost wages and lost earnings. This should be kept separate from your journal. The burden is on you to prove exactly what work days you have missed because of your injuries.

Damage to your automobile and personal property.

If your case is an automobile collision case, your attorney needs to see your damaged automobile and any damaged personal property as a result of the incident. Please make sure you have good photographs of your automobile and any damage to personal property before it is repaired. We prefer that our firm take the photographs. Also, if you know the location of the Defendant's damaged automobile, please tell us. It is very important that you do not have your automobile repaired until the law office has obtained quality photographs of it in its damaged condition.

Doctor and physical therapy visits.

You should return to each of your doctors as often as necessary and be sure to tell him or her in detail of your complaints. Do not try to be a hero and minimize your complaints. Do not exaggerate your complaints. If you see any additional doctors or physical therapist, be sure you inform your attorney immediately of their names and addresses.

Medical bills, hospital bills and drug bills.

Please give to your attorney's office copies of all medical, hospital, doctor, physical therapy, and drug bills. You should periodically send these bills to the attorney's office.

Physical evidence.

If your injuries require a cast, brace, traction, or other device, save them. DO NOT throw them away. Be certain to bring these items to your attorney's office after you are no longer using them. They can be important pieces of physical evidence to be used at trial. Please keep any blood stained or ripped clothing. If you have cuts and / or bruises take photographs of the injuries.

Traffic citation and traffic court.

If you have been arrested or cited with a traffic violation in connection with this case, be sure to advise your attorney as to the date, place and time of any traffic court hearing. DO NOT plead to any such charge until you have talked with an attorney.

Your own insurance company.

You should deliver to your attorney's office the declarations sheet and the actual policy of your automobile insurance company.
Concerning your health insurance company, make certain that you retain duplicate copies of any bills before submitting them to your health insurance company.
You should also deliver to your attorney a copy of the policy for your health insurance company that covers you. The attorney will need to know this in advance.
Your auto and health insurers may have a contractual provision that you have to reimburse them to the extent you receive money from the Defendant or the Defendant's insurer.

Your current address and phone number.

Be certain to keep your attorney advised of any change in your address or telephone numbers. If you want to come into the office and see your attorney in person please call in advance to make an appointment to insure that they will be there.

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This web site is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace the services of a qualified attorney.
You should consult an attorney for individual advice regarding your own situation.