A person injured while walking may face changes that do not fit neatly into an appointment list: shorter walking distance, difficulty standing at a bus stop, inability to climb steps, a need for rides, a different work route, or assistance entering a vehicle. These changes should be recorded as specific tasks and transportation events rather than summarized only as “limited mobility.”

A post-crash mobility record should compare a person’s documented baseline with specific walking, standing, transfer, stair, transit, driving, route, assistance, and equipment changes after the pedestrian injury.

Establish the pre-crash baseline

  • Usual walking distance, pace, terrain, stairs, standing duration, work route, school route, errands, exercise, caregiving, and household tasks
  • Typical use of a car, bus, rail, bicycle, rideshare, mobility service, or help from another person
  • Preexisting restriction, pain, balance concern, prior injury, device, vehicle adaptation, accessible parking, or transportation assistance documented before the crash
  • Source for the baseline, including personal knowledge, medical record, work schedule, transit record, calendar, device record, or another dated source

Create one row for each changed task or trip

  • Date, origin, destination, purpose, usual method, method used after the crash, distance, duration, and source record
  • Walking, standing, turning, transfer, curb, ramp, stair, vehicle entry, seat position, pedal use, carrying, or balance task affected
  • Restriction or instruction exactly as documented, device or assistance used, person providing help, additional time, cancellation, and later change
  • Observable difficulty, reported symptom, stopped activity, alternate route, privacy-safe trip record, and what the observer did not see

North Carolina Rule of Evidence 602 addresses personal knowledge. A person can describe tasks personally performed or observed, but should not convert those observations into a diagnosis, prognosis, medical restriction, or causation opinion.

Tie the record to clinical sources without directing care

HHS explains that, with exceptions, individuals may inspect, review, and receive copies of medical and billing records held by covered providers and health plans. Request relevant emergency, imaging, orthopedic, neurologic, therapy, rehabilitation, equipment, restriction, and billing records. Use the treating source for diagnosis, plan, weight-bearing status, device use, return to driving, and other medical instructions.

  • Record symptom reports separately from examination findings, test results, diagnoses, provider restrictions, and therapy measurements
  • Preserve changed instructions and earlier versions instead of rewriting the history after improvement or a setback
  • Identify prior conditions, later events, unrelated transportation changes, and gaps or conflicting records for qualified review
  • Do not infer medical recovery from one completed trip, missed appointment, return to work, or elapsed time

Document transportation expenses and payments

  • Ambulance, nonemergency medical transport, rideshare, taxi, transit, parking, toll, mileage, rental, delivery, or caregiver transportation expense
  • Date, payer, amount charged, amount paid, reimbursement, outstanding amount, trip purpose, receipt, and related appointment or task
  • Vehicle adaptation, mobility equipment, temporary service, repair, replacement, or home-access cost kept separate by source and status
  • Estimated future transportation need labeled as an estimate with author, assumptions, frequency, duration, and qualified support

North Carolina Rule of Evidence 414 limits evidence offered to prove past medical expenses to specified amounts actually paid and amounts necessary to satisfy incurred but unpaid bills. Keep medical transportation charges, payments, adjustments, and balances source-specific rather than using an unsupported total.

Protect privacy while preserving useful detail

  • Keep only the trip, route, assistance, function, and expense detail relevant to the record
  • Avoid exposing unrelated home, work, school, child, account, or live-location information in a shared file
  • Preserve native app or service records securely and work from a redacted copy when appropriate
  • Record corrections, missing trips, duplicate entries, reimbursements, and changed transportation plans

The related guide to building a pedestrian visibility record covers the crash scene, viewpoint, traffic controls, lighting, and source media. This page owns the separate mobility and transportation record after the injury.

Rosensteel Fleishman Car Accident & Injury Lawyers provides information about Charlotte pedestrian accident injuries. A mobility record documents change and source; it does not determine medical causation, responsibility, damages, or the legal result.

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