How To Document Injuries for Your Personal Injury Case

In this article, you can discover…

• The most common injuries following a car accident.
• The importance of medical documents in proving injuries. 
• How a caring and diligent personal injury lawyer can help you following an accident. 

What Are the Most Common Injuries in Motor Vehicle Accidents?

Common injuries include orthopedic/musculoskeletal injuries, as well as neurological injuries. For neck and back injuries, the tell-tale sign of a significant injury is radiating pain or numbness down the arms or legs. Many accident victims also suffer from temporomandibular joint (TMJ) injuries, which can impact the jaw, neck, and upper back. Injuries to internal organs, eyes, teeth, and amputations tend to be less common.

What Are the Symptoms of a Concussion or Traumatic Brain Injury?

In addition to headaches or pain behind the eyes, you may experience dizziness, visual disturbances, and trouble with your sense of smell. You may also experience memory loss, fatigue, and changes in emotional state or mood. 

Is It Important to Seek Medical Attention Immediately After a Motor Vehicle Accident Even if I Don’t Feel Any Pain?

Seeking immediate medical treatment helps put to rest insurance carrier arguments that you were not injured by the accident. Get to an emergency room or doctor’s office as soon as you can, if for no other reason than to rule out a serious injury.

You may not feel symptoms immediately following an accident. Pain can often arise a day or two after an accident. Be sure to get checked out by a medical professional, ideally within 48 hours of an accident. This helps document immediate injuries as well as pain that arises gradually, creating clear evidence of causation.

Attorney Lisa Pezzano is a hard-working personal injury lawyer serving New Jersey. For over 30 years, she’s helped clients just like you understand their injuries after an accident and get the medical help and damages they deserve.

Need representation and help following an accident? Reach out to the Pezzano Law Group at (908) 923-0020 for a free initial consultation today.

What Role Do Medical Experts Play in Proving My Injuries?

Medical experts play a very important role. Next to your attorney, the medical expert who provides treatment plays the most critical role in documenting your injuries, as the strength of your case is often determined by the accuracy of the medical records and diagnosis.

If a doctor is dismissive of your complaints, that is a physician that you should stay away from. Not all physicians are equally attentive. However, keep in mind that a physician who has a good bedside manner is not necessarily the most qualified professional to provide you with medical treatment.

Be sure to seek help from an attentive, thorough medical expert who can properly document, diagnose, and assess causation in your personal injury case. You may trust your family physician, but family doctors are generally not qualified to treat most orthopedic and neurological injuries. They may perform triage, deciding which injuries need the most immediate attention and refer you to a specialist. However, PIP insurance nor most health insurance policies require referrals to specialists. If you suffer from neck, back, shoulder, hand, leg, or foot injuries which do not dissipate after a week or so, it is advisable to schedule an appointment with an orthopedist. If you suffer from headaches or other residuals from a head injury, schedule an appointment with a neurologist. 

What Evidence Can I Use to Show the Impact of Injuries on My Ability to Work?

You should always request copies of out-of-work notes from your physician to document your inability to work. If no medical professional takes you out of work, it will be very difficult to document a lost wage claim. If you don’t feel physically able to work, get an out-of-work note from your doctor at each visit, to provide to your employer.

Treating for months without obtaining continued out-of-work notes can diminish your chances of obtaining compensation for lost wages. You may not be able to obtain compensation for that time if the doctor fails to explain why you can’t perform your normal job duties. For that reason, be sure to explain your job duties to your physician, and how you would be limited in performing them due to your injuries.

How We Approach Your Case

Coming from a family of blue-collar workers who dedicated their lives to supporting their families, I feel strongly that people who work hard for a living should be adequately compensated if they are injured — whether on the job or off. I encounter people every day who are struggling, especially those living paycheck to paycheck. For them, even a few days out of work can have a significant financial impact, which is especially heartbreaking when the injured party is the sole or primary breadwinner.

As a compassionate person, I naturally empathize with clients whose lives have been turned upside down by an accident. However, with more than 30 years of experience helping personal injury victims, I understand how to balance this empathy with professionalism, ensuring that emotions don’t cloud judgment. This approach allows me to represent my clients effectively, keeping a clear head to evaluate the case from all angles. I also have a team of dedicated women who will also be working diligently on your case: paralegals, a client support specialist, and data entry clerks who will document your file while I am in Court.

My goal as an attorney is to work tirelessly to ensure my clients receive the medical care, support, and zealous legal representation they deserve, to move through this difficult phase of their lives and compensate them for their injuries.

Still Have Questions? Ready To Get Started? 

For more information on Motor Vehicle Accidents a free initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (908) 923-0020 today.