What Information Should I Write Down Immediately?

1. Start With the Date, Time and Exact Location

Write the date, approximate or exact time and the clearest location you can identify. In Waikīkī, include the hotel, business, beach access, street, intersection, room number or nearby landmark.

If the incident moved between locations, record each place separately and note the order in which the moves occurred.

2. Write a Simple Timeline

Begin with what happened immediately before the incident. Continue in order through the event, emergency response, transportation, medical treatment, police contact, property collection and release.

Short numbered entries are enough. Avoid rewriting the account repeatedly until it sounds more certain than your actual memory.

3. Record What You Personally Saw and Heard

Describe actions, sounds, words, directions of travel, distances and visible conditions that you personally observed.

Put direct quotations in quotation marks only when you genuinely remember the wording. Otherwise, describe the substance and note that it is not an exact quote.

4. Separate Other People’s Information

If a companion, witness, hotel employee, police officer or medical professional gave you information, write down who said it and when.

Use wording such as “I was told by…” rather than presenting secondhand information as something you personally witnessed.

5. Write Down Names and Contact Details

Record the full names, telephone numbers, email addresses and home or hotel details of witnesses, companions, drivers, employees, security personnel and others who may have relevant information.

Do not pressure anyone to make a statement. Ask politely whether they are willing to provide contact information and respect their decision.

6. Record Police, Security and Medical Details

Write down the agency or company, officer or employee name, badge or identification number when given, station or facility, ambulance provider, hospital and the names of medical staff when known.

Keep every report, incident, booking, property, citation, patient or case number exactly as written.

7. Note Vehicle, Property and Location Details

For vehicles, write the license plate, state, make, model, color, rental company and any identifying number. For property, record the item, condition, owner and where it was last seen.

For a hotel, venue or business, note the exact entrance, room, floor, table, elevator, walkway or area connected to the event.

8. Describe Injuries and Symptoms

Record visible injuries and symptoms such as pain, dizziness, confusion, swelling, bruising, bleeding, nausea or limited movement. Include when each symptom began and whether it changed.

Do not diagnose yourself. Use ordinary factual language and keep medical instructions, prescriptions and discharge documents together.

9. Record Statements and Instructions

Note important statements made by another person, police officer, insurer, hotel employee, airline, rental company or medical provider.

Also record instructions, deadlines and promises—such as being told to call a number, appear in court, collect property, submit a form or return for treatment.

10. Identify Photographs, Videos and Messages

List what photographs or videos exist, who took them, which device holds the originals and whether anyone else received a copy.

Note relevant text messages, emails, call logs, social-media messages, rideshare records and location history without deleting or altering the originals.

11. Track Expenses and Travel Disruption

Write down emergency transportation, medical costs, medication, replacement clothing, additional hotel nights, damaged property, towing, rental-car charges, missed work and flight-change costs.

Keep receipts and confirmation emails. Do not rely only on a later bank or credit-card statement.

12. Record What Changed After the Incident

Note whether property was moved, a spill was cleaned, a vehicle was towed, surveillance cameras were visible, signs were changed, repairs began or witnesses left.

These details can explain why later photographs or inspections may look different from the original scene.

13. Write Down Immediate Deadlines

Record court dates, police follow-up instructions, insurance-notification deadlines, hotel checkout, flight departure, medication needs, consular appointments and property-collection hours.

Mark which deadlines were confirmed in writing and which still need verification.

14. Preserve the First Version of Your Notes

Keep the original handwritten note, phone note or document. If you remember something later, add a dated supplement rather than silently replacing the original.

Back up digital notes and avoid posting the full account publicly while facts remain uncertain.

15. A Simple Writing Checklist

Before you stop, ask whether you recorded: who, what, when, where, what you personally saw, what others said, names and contacts, report numbers, injuries, damage, evidence, expenses and deadlines.

Leave blank spaces where information is missing. Unknown is more accurate than a guess.

Official Resources

Use official sources to confirm current reporting procedures and court information.