How To Strengthen Your Pain And Suffering Claim After A Car Accident
Car accidents can be devastating on so many levels. Aside from the damage to your vehicle, you have hospital bills, doctors bills, missed time from work, and any number of other complications. You also have to endure all the pain and suffering that went along with being injured due to someone else's negligent actions.
Unfortunately, the other party's insurance company often tries to find ways to minimize their costs -- and cheating you out of fair compensation for your pain and suffering may be one of them. Here's how to strengthen your claim.
Make Your Pain Clear To Your Doctor
Your doctor will note everything you say in your records, so don't fail to mention the pain that you're going through as a result of the accident at every visit. While you don't ever want to exaggerate your suffering, do be explicit.
For example, if you hit your head in the accident, let the doctor know that you're still experiencing headaches, nausea, dizziness, and any other symptoms -- and how often they occur. Those notes can later be used to bolster your claims.
Keep A Pain Diary
You may find it useful to keep a diary of your recovery. Combined with your doctor's notes, that diary can be a powerful testament to just how much pain you were feeling on a day-to-day basis. In addition, your diary can capture things your doctor's notes might miss -- like exactly how your pain and suffering limited you.
For example, if you injured your back, you can write down how your back pain kept you from going to your grandson's birthday party because you were stuck in bed the whole day. Or, you can record how you had to ask for assistance at the grocery store loading and unloading your cart because you couldn't manage on your own.
Don't Forget About The Pain Of Treatment
Many times, victims of car accidents have to go through treatments or testing that's also painful. Make sure that you note how much pain it put you in to have to go through physical therapy for your neck or what pain it caused you when you had an epidural on your back following the accident.
Finally, discuss all of this information with your auto accident injury attorney prior to making your request for compensation from the other party's insurance. Your attorney will help organize the information and present it in a factual way that will strengthen your claim and help you get what you are due.
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