Car Accident Head Injuries | Virginia
Keep a Symptom Journal After a Head Injury in a Car Accident
A written record of how you feel day to day can help you and your medical providers track changes after a crash. Here is how to start one.
Published November 6, 2026
Keep a dated, written record of each symptom after a head injury from a car accident. Write down what you feel, how bad it is, and what makes it better or worse. A symptom journal turns vague feelings into specific facts your medical providers can use.
Head injury symptoms can shift from hour to hour and day to day. They are also easy to forget by the next appointment. A journal keeps the details in one place, so important changes don’t fade. It supports medical care. It does not replace it.
Why keep a symptom journal after a head injury from a crash
A symptom journal gives you a dated record of symptoms that can change and fade from memory. Start it as soon as you feel off after the crash, even if the problems seem small.
Many people feel shaken but mostly fine at the scene. Some people also get a first scan that looks normal and still feel unwell. A normal-looking scan does not mean nothing is wrong.
Memory is least reliable when you are under stress, and the weeks after a crash are stressful. Many people see several providers during that time, such as a primary care doctor, a neurologist or a therapist. Each one may ask different questions. A written journal gives the same clear answers to every one of them.
The journal is personal. It is your own record.
Not sure what your next step is?
Talk it through with Correll Law Firm — we can walk you through how a situation like yours is usually handled and what your options are.
Common concussion symptoms to track
Concussion symptoms usually fall into four groups: physical, thinking, sleep and mood. Track all four, not only the one that hurts most.
Physical symptoms include headache, pressure in the head, dizziness, balance trouble, nausea or vomiting, sensitivity to light or noise, and fatigue. Dizziness may look like losing your balance on the stairs or feeling unsteady when you turn your head quickly.
Thinking symptoms include confusion, memory gaps, slower thinking and trouble concentrating. You may find yourself rereading a text message several times before it makes sense.
Sleep changes matter too. You might sleep far more than usual, sleep far less, or wake up often and still feel tired. Mood changes count as well, such as irritability, anxiety or low mood.
Describe each symptom in your own words, not one-word labels. “Head feels like it’s in a vise” tells a provider more than “headache” alone.
Symptoms that can appear days after the crash
Some concussion symptoms start hours or days after the crash. That is why notes from the first day may miss part of the picture.
A headache may build slowly over several days. Work tasks that were easy can become hard, such as writing an email or reading a spreadsheet. Some people find screens, music or busy stores bother them more than before. A common pattern is feeling fine in the morning, then having a rough afternoon after a long drive or a busy shift.
These changes are easy to dismiss, so write them down. Record the date each new symptom first appears, even if it seems minor. A dated first appearance helps your provider understand the timeline from the crash onward.
Warning signs that need emergency care
Some head injury signs need emergency care right away, and the journal should never delay that.
Get emergency help right away for a headache that gets worse and does not go away, repeated vomiting, a seizure, trouble waking up or unusual drowsiness, slurred speech, weakness or numbness, or one pupil larger than the other. Increasing confusion or agitation also needs emergency help.
Call 911 in Virginia right away if you notice any of these signs. Do not wait to see whether they pass, and do not stop to fill in your journal first. You can write down what happened after you have been checked.
If someone says you seem confused or not like yourself, take that seriously. Their observation can be a warning sign too.
How to record each day
Write one dated entry each day, using the same format every time. Consistent entries are easier to compare than general statements.
Each entry can include the date and time, the symptom, and a severity rating from 0 to 10. Use the same scale every day, with 0 meaning no symptom and 10 meaning the worst you can imagine. Note what seemed to trigger the symptom and what helped or made it worse.
Add a few daily details too. Record hours of sleep, medications your provider has prescribed or advised, screen time, reading or work time, and any activity you had to cut back. These details show patterns a provider may miss.
A specific entry works better than a general one. “Headache started about an hour into the drive, severity 6” tells a provider far more than “bad headache today.”
Pick one place to write and stick with it. Switching between a notebook and a phone can leave gaps. Paper, a notes app or a printed log all work if you use them every day.
Symptoms that are easy to leave off the chart
Many people leave out quiet symptoms like word-finding trouble and reading fatigue. These are real symptoms, and they belong in the journal.
Watch for trouble finding the right word mid-sentence, tiring quickly when reading, and getting lost in familiar places. Bright lights may bother your eyes more than usual. Ringing in the ears can come and go. Changes in mood or personality often show up first to family members.
Be specific about when symptoms happen, such as after reading for ten minutes or in a noisy grocery store. Those details help a provider narrow down what is going on.
Family members can help. Ask a family member or close friend to add observations to the journal. Mark each entry as their own observation and date it, so the source stays clear.
Writing a symptom down the same day it happens helps. Gaps in the record can look like inconsistency later, even when the gap has an ordinary cause.
Not sure what your next step is?
Talk it through with Correll Law Firm — we can walk you through how a situation like yours is usually handled and what your options are.
Bringing the journal to medical providers
Bring the journal to every appointment and review it with your provider. The provider decides what to test and what to treat.
Bring a printed copy or have the journal ready on your phone. That way you can show the pattern during the visit instead of trying to remember it.
Your provider may discuss vestibular therapy if dizziness or balance problems continue after a head injury. Whether it fits your situation is a medical decision for your provider. The journal gives that decision better information.
Keep visit notes, test results and referral papers in the same folder as the journal. One organized folder makes it easier to see the full timeline. It also makes it easier to share the right records when you need them.
Frequently asked questions
Does a symptom journal prove a brain injury?
No. It records what you notice. A medical evaluation is what leads to a diagnosis.
How long should I keep the journal?
Keep it until a provider says your symptoms have resolved, or until you no longer need it. Recovery timelines vary from person to person.
What if my symptoms come and go?
Record the good days as well as the bad ones. Patterns over time are useful to your provider.
Should I share the journal with an insurance adjuster?
That is your decision.
Keeping crash and medical records together
Keep the journal with your crash details and medical records. Together they show the full story of the crash and your recovery. The daily changes you record also show how the injury affects work, sleep and family life.
Virginia requires a driver involved in a crash with injury or death to stop and report it to police immediately (Va. Code §§ 46.2-371, 46.2-894). The two-year period is the deadline to file a lawsuit, not to report a crash.
Virginia generally allows two years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit (Va. Code § 8.01-243(A)); the clock runs from the date of injury, not the date of discovery, with narrow exceptions.
The firm handles car and commercial truck crash cases. The firm’s offices are in Winchester and Harrisonburg. It serves people across the Shenandoah Valley, Richmond and Henrico County.