Put Your Doctor’s Report in Writing — Protect Yourself After a Car Wreck When you have been hurt in a car crash, you want to pursue financial compensation for all your losses. In a court of law, however, you will only be able to obtain damages for any injury or loss that you can prove. While the verbal testimony of an eyewitness may be sufficient to persuade a jury to award you the full measure of damages, written documentation from a medical professional is almost always more compelling.
When you visit your doctor (or any medical professional), instruct them to document everything you say and everything they observe in your medical record. A word of caution — make certain that you discuss all abnormalities with your doctor. Don’t focus exclusively on those injuries that you perceive to be most serious. For example, don’t limit your discussion to your broken leg and neglect to tell your doctor about the tingling in your toes or the tightness in your lower back. Often, the most debilitating injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident are those that are not immediately apparent.
Another way you can help document your injuries is to have someone take pictures of them. The pictures don’t need to be professional; they can be taken with a phone camera. If possible, though, you want to take multiple pictures over a period of time, showing the entire cycle of your injury, from the day you suffered harm until the injury healed.
Contact Our Office
For a free initial consultation, contact our office online or call us at 973-993-8787. We have office locations in Morristown and Newton, but will visit you in your home or the hospital if necessary.
We take all personal injury claims on a contingency basis. You will not incur legal fees unless attorney Popper recovers compensation for your losses.