Staying Organized After an Accident

Accidents can have painful physical consequences. The pain and discomfort associated with various physical injuries can greatly impact an accident survivor’s day-to-day life. But being injured in an accident can be overwhelming for another reason entirely.

After being involved in an unexpected, injury-causing accident, individuals are suddenly inundated with information. Keeping track of all the emails and voice messages, invoices and receipts, appointment confirmations and cancellations can be overwhelming.

On top of that, people who have been injured often start incurring substantial financial losses. Out of nowhere, injured accident survivors may need to start adjusting their family budgets to accommodate the costs of coping with their injuries. This is particularly true for people who cannot continue working as a result of the injuries they have sustained.

Staying organized in the midst of personal chaos can be difficult. It is hard to keep track of bills, e-correspondence, hours of missed work, appointments, and expenses. But it is very important for injured accident survivors to find a system of organization that works for them.

Insurance providers often require meticulously documented evidence to approve claims for Section B benefits and long-term disability (LTD) benefits. And if the accident survivor chooses to pursue a civil claim against the parties or entities responsible for their injuries, being as prepared and organized as possible could make it easier for them to prove their claim and, thereby, collect fair compensations.

If you have been injured in an accident and are finding it difficult to stay organized, you are not alone. No one expects to be injured and few people are prepared for the experience that follows. But following some simple suggestions for keeping track of your documents and expenses could significantly benefit your processes of both physical and compensatory recovery.

Organizational Tips

Staying diligent about record-keeping can be a crucial part of the recovery process. It is a good idea to keep all documentation pertaining to your injuries in one place to lower the likelihood of an important piece of evidence going missing.

In a world where many of our communications are done digitally, it can be unclear as to how to keep track of important records and correspondence. But there are ways to keep a tidy, well-organized email inbox.

• Create an inbox folder or email label: Keep all bills and correspondence organized by immediately filing emails in a dedicated digital folder. By doing so, you will be able to quickly search for important pieces of correspondence or attachments related to your injuries without sifting through countless other personal items.
• Make paper copies: If you have access to a printer, consider creating hard copies of all electronic documents you receive and filing them in chronological order in a folder, binder, or box.
• Hold onto everything: Even if you do not believe a document that you have been issued might be useful in the future, keep it anyway. You never know what might come in handy at a later time.
• Request receipts: Make sure to save a copy of receipts for all prescriptions, medical treatments, and all other injury-related expenses. Keep the hard copies of receipts in a dedicated folder, binder, or box, or take photos of each receipt and file them digitally. Consider creating a digital spreadsheet for your receipts, recording the date, purpose, and cost of each transaction.
• Keep a calendar: Use a calendar or day-planner to keep track of medical appointments. Not only can this help ensure you attend important appointments, but keeping a calendar can serve as a useful record for the future.
• Take notes: During meetings with healthcare providers, write down your own notes. If you attend these appointments with a family member, healthcare assistant, or trusted friend, ask them to take their own notes as well. Notes can be handwritten, or you could use a note-taking app on your phone. Keep these notes filed in chronological order. You may also choose to create a digital spreadsheet and transcribe the notes you have taken into one consolidated file.
• Keep records of phone calls: Each time you make a phone call to a medical professional or insurance provider or receive an update from them by phone, keep a record of the phone call. Include the date and time of the call, whether you left a voicemail or spoke with someone directly, the name of the person you spoke with, notes about the topics discussed, and any follow-up actions required.
• Track missed work hours: Keep a record of all the times you were unable to work because of your medical condition. Keep a file of your pay stubs and other documents issued by your employer. A comparison of these documents from before and after your accident may illustrate just how thoroughly your injury prevented you from performing the duties of your job.

The Importance of Well-Documented Evidence

In order to cope with the financial realities of life with a traumatic injury, accident survivors may seek insurance benefits. They may even pursue a civil claim by working with a Nova Scotia personal injury lawyer. Having access to thorough, well-organized evidence can make a great deal of difference when pursuing either option.

Sometimes, injuries are so severe that accident survivors are no longer able to perform the duties of their jobs. As a result, disabled individuals often find themselves in financial distress. Indeed, in large urban centres across Canada, more than half of the country’s disabled population lives below the poverty line.

Provided they have access to the right insurance coverage, disabled accident survivors who are no longer able to continue working may apply for long-term disability (LTD) benefits. Typically, Canadian LTD plans replace between 60-70% of a recipient’s normal wages. However, insurance providers often deny claims for benefits for reasons that seem unfair or difficult to comprehend.

One of the most common reasons cited for an insurance company’s decision to deny LTD benefits is missing or insufficient evidence. However, with the evidence you collect and organize throughout your recovery process, you may be able to successfully refute this claim. By working with our Nova Scotia long-term disability lawyers, you may be able to present evidence that proves the severity of your injuries and illustrates their impacts on your ability to work. By doing so, you could receive compensation for:

• Previously denied benefits payments
• Future benefit payments
• Legal fees
• Damages for mental stress experienced
• Punitive damages
• And possibly more

If your injury-causing accident was the result of someone else’s negligence, you may be able to work with our Nova Scotia personal injury lawyers to pursue damages from the at-fault parties. The evidence you collect throughout your recovery process may help illustrate the extent to which your injuries affected your daily life and the degree to which you suffered financially. The evidence you have organized could be used to advance a claim for damages you have incurred as a result of the accident. By presenting this evidence, our Nova Scotia personal injury lawyers may be able to help you recover the financial compensation you deserve.

Call Today for a Free Initial Consultation

If you were injured in an accident, staying organized can be beneficial for many reasons. Doing so could help ensure that you get the compensation you are rightfully owed.

Our Nova Scotia personal injury lawyers offer all prospective clients a free initial consultation. To discuss your case and receive personalized feedback, contact us today.