One important key to negotiating successful settlements for our personal injury clients is to ensure that your doctors provide detailed medical documentation. This means accounting for a thorough medical history, a detailed summary of all of injuries, and listing all limitations to date.
Details Regarding Pain
We always emphasize to our clients on the first day that they retain us on how important it is to provide their doctors with a thorough history of all of their injuries and limitations from the date of their accident to current. When our clients see their doctors, they must provide their doctors with a thorough history of all of their injuries, the extent of their physical pain, their physical impairments, their mental suffering or anxiety, and their inability to perform all of their usual activities.
It is extremely important that you provide your doctor with detailed words that explain how you feel about each of your injuries. For example, if you have neck pain, you need to describe to your doctor that your neck pain is a dull, aching pain that radiates into your head. If you have back pain, you might explain that your pain is piercing, constant, throbbing or aching in nature.
Details Regarding Daily Life
You need to explain to your doctor how each of your injuries, pain, impairments and restrictions have impacted your ability to complete your household functions, your day to day work activities, and how your injuries have impacted your ability to enjoy activities. Provide a list for your doctor of all of the activities that you enjoy doing and how your injuries and pain have impacted on those activities.
Details Regarding Emotional Toll
It is also important that you explain to your doctor how your injuries and resulting pain have impacted you emotionally. You need to explain all of the stresses that this accident has caused for you and your family and all of your fears and anxieties. Tell your doctor if the accident emotionally impacted your ability to drive. Ask yourself these questions:
- In particular, how has the accident impacted your ability to drive?
- Are you more anxious or nervous when you drive after the accident?
- Do you have nightmares about the accident?
- Does the increase in your pain cause you to be tired, emotionally distraught, nervous, or anxious?
You must outline for your doctor all of your mental distress and anxiety in addition to all of your physical injuries.
Struggling with Personal Injury?
If you have questions about a personal injury case, The Law Office of Tom Somos, LLC would be happy to take your call. If you’re ready to take action but unsure of where to start, feel free to contact our office today.
