Short Answer

In North Carolina, keep a same-day injury journal that logs your home exercises, brace wear, pain levels, and activity limits, and back it up with records from your providers. Save photos, app screenshots, and receipts to corroborate your notes, and organize everything by date. This makes your proof relevant, consistent, and usable in a claim or lawsuit. If you later sue, the general deadline for personal injury claims is three years from the injury.

Understanding the Problem

You want to know how to prove, in a North Carolina personal injury claim, that you actually did your home physical therapy and used your knee brace as directed. You finished formal PT but still wear the brace at times; you also continue exercises and limit some activities. The question is how to capture those efforts in a way an adjuster—or a court—will take seriously.

Apply the Law

Under North Carolina law, you can recover damages for injuries you can prove with credible, relevant evidence. That includes medical records, therapy instructions, photos, logs, receipts, and other documentation that shows what you did, when you did it, and how it affected you. Claims are often resolved with an insurance adjuster; if suit is filed, it proceeds in civil court in your county. For most personal injury cases, the filing deadline is generally three years from the date of injury.

Key Requirements

• Contemporaneous entries: Record exercises, brace use, pain scores, and limits the same day they occur.
• Specific details: Note date/time, exercise name and duration/reps, which brace you wore and for how long, and a simple 0–10 pain rating before/after.
• Corroboration: Keep provider handouts, portal messages, photos/video, wearable/app screenshots, and pharmacy labels that support your notes.
• Organization and authenticity: Keep originals, avoid altering entries, and preserve metadata (timestamps) where possible.
• Connection to impact and cost: Briefly note activities you skipped or modified and save receipts for related out-of-pocket items.

What the Statutes Say

• N.C. Gen. Stat. § 8C-1, Rule 401 (Relevance) - Evidence is relevant if it makes a fact more or less probable.
• N.C. Gen. Stat. § 8C-1, Rule 803(6) (Business records) - Medical and therapy records can be admitted as business records.
• N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-52 (Three-year limit for personal injury) - General three-year statute of limitations; specific applications can vary by claim.

Analysis

Apply the Rule to the Facts: You completed PT but still use a knee brace, do home exercises, take medication, and avoid certain activities. A daily log with dates/times, exercise names, reps/duration, brace-on/off periods, and pain scores will show consistent self-care. Attach your PT discharge plan and any provider messages to corroborate what you were told to do. Keep receipts and photos where relevant to support your notes and demonstrate ongoing impact.

Process & Timing

1. Who files: You (or your attorney) compile the documentation. Where: Keep a dated journal (paper or notes app), a folder for photos/screenshots, and a file for medical records. What: Use your PT home exercise program, patient portal downloads, pharmacy labels, and receipts. When: Make entries the same day; request records as soon as treatment ends so they’re complete.
2. Request complete records and itemized bills from your providers; typical turnaround is a few weeks, but timing varies by office. Save your request confirmations and any certification pages that come with records.
3. When you submit your claim or settlement demand, include the journal excerpts, key photos/screenshots, medical records, and bills. If the claim does not resolve and you file suit, maintain the original files for disclosure and trial.

Exceptions & Pitfalls

• Backfilled or edited logs can look unreliable; make brief, same-day entries and avoid overwriting prior notes.
• Vague entries ("did PT") carry little weight; include exercise names, reps/duration, and brace time-on/time-off.
• Inconsistency between social media posts and your journal can undermine credibility; keep your public activity in mind.
• Missing provider records weakens corroboration; promptly request full records and itemized bills from each provider.
• Lost receipts mean lost proof; photograph and save all out-of-pocket documentation immediately.

Talk to a Personal Injury Attorney

If you're managing home exercises, brace use, and ongoing pain after an accident, our firm can help you build clear proof and navigate timelines. Reach out today. Call us at (919) 341-7055.

Disclaimer: This article provides general information about North Carolina law based on the single question stated above. It is not legal advice for your specific situation and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws, procedures, and local practice can change and may vary by county. If you have a deadline, act promptly and speak with a licensed North Carolina attorney.