Should I Keep a Journal as Evidence for My Workers’ Comp Claim in Tampa?

After a workplace injury in Tampa, your next few days might be filled with all kinds of difficult experiences. These might include medical procedures, paperwork, and psychological issues. With so many things happening at once, you might struggle to document everything. Could it be helpful to keep a journal during this process?

A Journal Could Help You Remember Key Details

Because workers’ comp is a “no-fault” process that doesn’t require you to prove negligence, you might assume that gathering evidence is unnecessary. However, this is only partially true. You still need to gather certain types of evidence in preparation for your claim. Perhaps the most obvious example is your medical records, as this will help establish the nature and severity of your injuries.

You might also assume that your healthcare providers will carefully document every aspect of your injuries. However, this is also not always true. Your doctor might forget to write down a key detail, and they might make an offhand comment that never reaches your medical record. For example, they might verbally tell you that you have a 33% chance of ever walking again, and this comment might never appear on your medical record.

These kinds of situations highlight the importance of keeping a journal. You should write down everything your doctor tells you. Do not assume that you’ll be able to access these comments at a later date. Even if you have a strong memory, it’s best to write this information down just in case. Your memory might also be less reliable than you realize, especially after a traumatic head injury (TBI).

Speaking of TBIs, some aspects of injuries are not visible to your doctors (or anyone else). As a result, it makes sense to write down your feelings and psychological challenges after certain injuries. For example, you might have experienced cognitive decline after a head injury.

You might also experience heightened levels of aggression, the loss of inhibition, and other personality changes. These issues might seem to represent “non-economic damages” at first glance, but they can still impact your ability to work. As a result, emotional and psychological challenges could become relevant in certain workers’ comp claims.

Aside from medical information, you might also want to write down details about your accident in a journal. Perhaps your accident occurred because your employer failed to provide you with safety equipment. Maybe your employer’s gross or reckless negligence led to your injuries. A third party might have caused your injuries. These kinds of situations could potentially lead to full-on personal injury lawsuits instead of workers’ comp claims. As a result, it makes sense to take note of even the smallest details related to your accident.

Can a Workers’ Comp Attorney in Tampa Help Me? 

A journal is always a solid choice if you’re serious about maintaining proper documentation after a workplace accident. Even if workers’ comp claims in Tampa generally do not cover non-economic damages, it still makes sense to write down your experiences. Even the smallest details could become relevant at a later date. Learn more about potential evidence by speaking with the Tampa workers’ compensation lawyers at The Franco Law Firm.

Source:

 myfloridacfo.com/division/wc