After a car accident with injuries, accident victims usually have one goal – to recuperate from their injuries. If you have been hurt by another driver's careless actions, you might need to focus on not just getting better but on being paid the damages you are owed as a result of the accident. Fortunately, you can do both things at once. Read on to find out more.
Don't Underestimate Your Medical Needs
You are entitled to be "made whole" again after an accident. That means you are entitled to do anything necessary to bring yourself back to the same state of health you were before the accident occurred. The below actions will not only help you do just that, but will also provide you and your attorney with the proof of the ways the accident has affected your health and your life.
- Keep organized – It's not uncommon for those suffering from car accident injuries to need many different types of medical care. Unfortunately, this can mean being treated by a number of specialists for a number of problems. The best way to ensure that you stay organized is to keep an accident notebook. Any sort of spiral-bound or digital record will do as long as it has a calendar for noting appointments and other details. The need to keep up with these details will become clear once you seek damages as the notebook will serve as a memory tool to remind you about your treatments and the effect of them on your well-being. This aspect of a personal injury claim is known as pain and suffering
- Attend to Your Mind, Body, and Spirit – Medical science recognized long ago the effect your mental health has on your physical health. Car accidents can wreak havoc with your mental health, resulting in anxiety, stress, depression, and more. Don't disregard the need for professional mental health care after an accident – it's just as important as a broken leg or a back injury. Not only is mental health counseling covered just like your physical injuries, but keeping records about the emotional impact of an accident will support your claim for psychological trauma and pain and suffering. More and more personal injury lawyers are advising their clients to use a pain journal to record their daily struggles with the emotional part of a car accident.
- Be Alert to Medication Issues – All medications come with side-effects but you should not dismiss those inevitable problems without noting them. In some cases, medication side-effects can be more difficult to handle than the issue they are meant to alleviate. Use your accident notebook to note each medication you are prescribed and any side-effects.
The total amount of your medical expenses will greatly affect the amount of compensation you end up receiving. Speak to your personal injury lawyer to find out more.