Your lawyer may ask you to keep a diary, a calendar of your daily activities or both, focusing on your physical and psychological injuries. This may seem like a chore, but it can be important for your legal case because it helps to prove your claims about your injuries, your pain and how they have affected your life. If you sustained serious injuries in the accident, your treatment may continue for months and your healing patterns may change over time. It is important to keep a record of the changes you notice, both positive and negative, starting as soon as possible after the accident. In some cases, even your treating physician may benefit from your notes.

In your diary, you should focus on how you feel and how you are coping with your injuries. Make these entries as often as you feel a change; there is no need to make an entry every day. To begin, write down your name and a start date. On any day after the accident when you notice any changes in how you feel, or experience anything unusual, write it down. Include the date and a brief description of what you are feeling and what you were doing when you felt it. Include any descriptions of things that seem important, such as events that seem to trigger pain.

It is important not to forget the diary as time goes on. At the beginning, you may make daily entries, but as you start to feel better, you may find yourself making entries that are further and further apart. It is absolutely fine to make fewer entries if you have less to say, but it is important not to forget your diary altogether. Unfortunately, some injuries continue to have occasional side effects, even after they seem to have healed. Try not to tuck your diary so far out of sight that you forget about it.

You should use the calendar to record each of your doctor’s appointments or other medical care. When you record a diagnostic appointment, be sure to note the type of test, such as an MRI. It is better not to use this calendar to record social appointments or chores that are not relevant to your case. However, you should also record the dates and times of appointments with your lawyer, and any deadlines or court dates he or she provides.

You should take your diary and calendar with you both to doctor’s appointments and to meetings with your lawyer. They will help your doctor treat you better and keep your lawyer updated on your injuries and how they are healing.