Detail These Sleep-Related Occurrences In Your Personal Injury Case

No detail about how your accident has affected your life is too small when it comes to pursuing a personal injury case. While it might be tempting to either keep some details private or perhaps want to seem stronger than you are, your attorney will advise you that complete transparency about your life in the wake of the injury is the best way to present your case. A serious accident can affect you in a number of ways, including how well you sleep. Here are some specific details about your average night's sleep that you should note, focusing on how things are now versus how they were before your accident.

Time Needed To Fall Asleep 

After an injury, sleep can be one of the most challenging parts of your day. This includes the amount of time that it actually takes you to fall asleep. For example, before the injury, you might have been able to turn the lights off, put your head on the pillow, and be sleeping just a few minutes later. Now, because of the pain and/or anxiety, you might find that you lie for more than an hour until you're finally sleepy enough to drift off.

Number Of Times You Wake Up

Some people are blessed with the ability to sleep through the night with the exception of the odd bathroom visit. You might have slept in this manner before the injury, resulting in feelings of being awake and alert each morning. Your injury can leave you in such pain that sleeping through the night is no longer probable. Be specific when you detail how many times you wake up. Keeping a piece of paper and a pencil next to your bed and jotting down the times can dramatically boost the impact of this information.

Medication That You Now Use

Accident victims will frequently need to use medication to sleep through the night. If you're in enough pain that you can't sleep, your physician will commonly prescribe pain medication. Write down what you're taking now and state that you didn't need to take anything before the accident. You may also wish to describe the side effects that you face from taking this medication. For example, even though it might help you to sleep, you could have traumatic nightmares — a common side effect of certain powerful painkillers. Your personal injury attorney will use all of this information to demand a hefty settlement from the defendant.