How to Document Your Injuries and Future Needs After a TBI

A traumatic brain injury can quickly disrupt your daily life, so it’s vital to keep clear documentation. Good records tell the story of what happened and what you’ll need later. They also help you keep everything straight when your memory fades.

Riverside, located in the Inland Empire, has a lot of neighborhoods, parks, and local history. People spend a lot of time outdoors here, and crowded roads can cause sudden accidents that can be devastating. 

After a traumatic brain injury in Riverside, victims and their families often turn to lawyers for legal guidance. One of the ways to ensure you get fair compensation if someone else was responsible is to have proper documentation. If you don’t know how to go about that, this article is just what you need.

Why Is It Important to Have Documentation After a TBI?

Medical records show what the injury is, how it happened, and how it affects you now. These records are important to doctors, insurers, and courts because they provide objective proof. The CDC reports that TBIs might sometimes involve delayed symptoms, which makes it even more crucial to keep accurate records early on.

What Medical Documents Do You Need to Collect?

From the very first time you asked for help, you must keep a complete set of records. Each piece adds to the timeline and helps you meet your long-term needs.

Some important documents are:

• Notes from the emergency room and discharge summaries
• Results from CT or MRI scans
• Results from neuropsychological tests
• Treatment plans and therapy logs

The National Institutes of Health explains that imaging and cognitive evaluations can show changes in both a person’s physical and mental health after a TBI.

How Should You Track Symptoms at Home?

A simple journal can help you remember things that medical notes miss. Your doctors can’t see everything you do daily, so your personal record is a good addition to your medical file.

Try to include:

• Symptoms that happen every day, along with the times and things that set them off
• Changes in sleep, mood, or memory
• Problems completing chores or work tasks

What Third-Party Records Can Back Up Your Claim?

People around you see changes that you might not. Victims often don’t realize how important the observations of others are.

Helpful sources are:

• Statements from family or coworkers
• Accident reports from police or employers
• Pictures or videos of the incident or what happened after it
• Records from work or school showing new struggles or reduced performance

How can you Show Future Needs?

Future needs are just as crucial as immediate treatment. A lot of people with TBIs still have headaches, problems remembering things, or mood swings years later.

Some professionals who can assist you in figuring out what you may need in the future are:

• Neurologists
• Psychologists
• Occupational or speech therapists
• Life care planners
• Vocational experts

Their evaluations often estimate future medical costs, therapy plans, home care needs, or job restrictions. These details protect you from getting stuck in short-term goals that don’t take long-term recovery into account.

Key Takeaways

• Write down what happened the same day the injury happened.
• Keep medical records, personal journals, and statements from other people.
• Keep your records up to date to show how far you’ve come and setbacks you experienced.
• Get expert advice to back up your long-term needs.
• Organize everything in a simple, chronological order.