After being injured in an accident, feeling both stressed and overwhelmed is common. In addition to the serious pain and suffering you are experiencing, you probably feel your life has been turned upside down in numerous ways. If your injuries prevent you from working, you will be unable to earn the wages you need to support yourself and your family. Furthermore, any temporary or permanent disability you may now have can prevent you from looking after your children or performing necessary tasks around your home.
If your accident-related injuries came about due to another party’s negligence, you have the right to file a claim for your losses. This can allow you to recover financial compensation for the expenses and missed earning opportunities you have endured since the accident.
Keeping all accident-related material as organized as possible will help provide the strongest chance of recovering the full and fair compensation you deserve. This is especially true when it comes to keeping track of your medical expenses.
Which Documents Should I Track?
While on the road to recovery, you will probably need to attend several medical appointments. This can often lead to hundreds of pages of records, invoices, and bills that can easily become overwhelming. However, you must keep track of certain documents that your personal injury attorney will find particularly helpful for your claim. These include records relating to expenses, such as:
- Visits to the emergency room
- Ambulance rides
- Appointments with your primary care doctor
- Specialist appointments
- Diagnostic tests and scans (X-ray, MRI, CT scans, etc.)
- Home health care costs
- Medical equipment, such as braces and crutches
- Mental health treatments
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines
- Transportation and accommodation costs if you need to travel for your treatment
- Costs of household assistance, such as cleaning or childcare, if your injuries prevent you from performing these duties yourself
Keeping these documents organized can give you and your attorney a good start when determining how much money you deserve for your losses. Yet it is important to remember that each personal injury case is unique, and there may be documents that are important for your claim that are not included in the above list. If you are unsure, your attorney will clarify which specific records you need.
How Should I Keep My Documents Organized?
The method you use to track your medical expenses is entirely up to you and whatever preferences your attorney may have. You can try any of the following suggestions, or you can use these ideas as inspiration for a method of your own design.
- Physical filing system – Some people find that the tried-and-tested method of keeping documents organized in a physical filing cabinet or an organizer for their folders is a great way to maintain their medical expenses. Be sure to put invoices, bills, and receipts into their designated folders as soon as you receive them. It may also be a good idea to file them according to the date they came in, which can help you find exactly what you need when you need it.
- Taking photos – Taking pictures of your medical documents with your phone can be an excellent digital alternative to a physical filing system. If you transfer the photos to your computer, you can organize them in separate folders, just as you would do with paper files. Make sure you back up your data onto an external hard drive and/or the cloud.
- Smartphone app – Many smartphone applications have been specifically designed to help people keep track of their expenses. They allow you to file new records in separate folders with the tap of a button.
- Maintain a journal – Keeping a medical journal can help you track your expenses and remember the dates and purposes of the various medical appointments you have had since your accident. This option also makes it easy to jot down daily notes about your pain levels, which can come in handy if you are asked to testify about your injuries and recovery.
Contact a Charleston Personal Injury Attorney
If keeping on top of all the necessary elements of your claim on your own seems difficult, know that you don’t have to do everything alone. The experienced Charleston personal injury attorneys at Murphy Crantford Meehan are prepared to take care of everything you need to strengthen your case for the compensation you deserve.
Call us today at (843) 417-0469 or contact us online for a free consultation.
