Memory for sequence degrades fast and it degrades in a specific way: the order of events stays roughly right, but the intervals collapse. Two weeks becomes “right after”. That is exactly the detail a defence will test.
This worksheet prompts you through the timeline in the order investigators use, with space for the things people forget to record — weather, lighting, who else was present, what was said at the scene.
What is inside
- Pre-incident context: where you were going, conditions, who was with you
- The incident itself, minute by minute where possible
- Immediately after: who was called, what was said, what was photographed
- First 72 hours: treatment, reports, notifications made
- Following weeks: appointments, symptoms, work missed
- Witnesses: names, contact details, what each one saw
How to use it
Write it once, quickly, then revise
First pass for the shape, second pass for dates and detail.
Mark uncertainty explicitly
Write “around 3pm, not certain” rather than committing to a time you may later contradict.
Do not share drafts widely
Send it to your attorney, not to the other side's insurer.
Common questions
Should I write this if I might not pursue a claim?
Yes. It costs an hour now and cannot be recreated later. Deciding not to proceed is easier with the facts written down.
Does this become evidence?
It may be discoverable in litigation. That is a reason to be accurate and to avoid speculation about fault or about what others were thinking.