Why Should I Take Notes After My Medical Malpractice Incident?

man writing notes

It may be difficult to relive the events of your medical malpractice incident in your head over and over again. However, if you plan on filing a legal claim against the negligent medical professional(s), you must seriously reflect on your accident. This may require you to go as far as putting pen to paper and jotting down notes about it. Follow along to find out the importance of taking notes after your incident and how a proficient New York City medical malpractice attorney at Mark L. Bodner, P.C. can help you effectively get into this habit.

What is the importance of taking notes after my medical malpractice incident?

As the future plaintiff of a medical malpractice claim, you are charged with carrying a burden of proof. This is essentially saying that you are responsible for providing the New York State Civil Court with a preponderance of evidence pointing to your claim as true; your claim being that you incurred your injuries and damages at the hands of a negligent medical professional who breached their duty of care.

With that being said, your personal notes may serve as a pivotal piece of proof to supplement your claim. This is because you may not lose anything to faded memory if you document the details of your medical malpractice incident promptly. What’s more, your notes may allow you to stay organized on what other evidence you still need to collect to support your argument.

What should my note-taking consist of?

To reiterate, your personal notes on your medical malpractice incident must be as detailed as possible. Without further ado, they should consist of the following information:

  • You should note exactly how your medical malpractice incident occurred in the first place:
    • The exact date and time it took place.
    • The people who witnessed the negligent act.
    • The medical professional who committed the negligent act.
    • The reason for your meeting with the medical professional.
  • You should note the injuries you incurred as a direct result of the medical malpractice incident:
    • The official medical diagnoses you received from other medical professionals.
    • The pain that your injuries have caused you in the aftermath of the incident.
    • The recommended treatment plan to fully recover from your injuries.
  • You should note the economic and non-economic damages you incurred as a direct result of your medical malpractice injuries:
    • The wages you have lost thus far and anticipate losing while healing from your injuries.
    • The activities you have missed or anticipate missing out on that you once enjoyed before your injuries.
    • The medical bills you have received and anticipate receiving to execute your recommended treatment plan.

At the end of the day, if you require immediate legal representation, look no further than a talented New York City medical malpractice attorney. Someone at Mark L. Bodner, P.C. will happily work with you.