Emotional and psychological problems after a car accident (2023)

Emotional and psychological problems after a car accident

Mental and emotional damage from traffic accidents

Emotional and psychological problems after a car accidentcan accompany you for a lifetime. They can persist long after physical injuries have healed, adversely affecting your life and future. Unfortunately, many car accident victims and insurance companies downplay the seriousness of emotional and psychological problems. The psychological effects after a car accident can affect your quality of life and affect your ability to pursue hobbies, interact with loved ones, and even hold down a job.

After a car accident, you can focus more on your physical injuries. If you have suffered physical injuries, you must undergo a medical examination and comply with the required treatment. If you later take legal action against the person responsible, you can produce your medical records and bills to prove the damages you are entitled to for those injuries. Many car accident victims pay less attention to the impact of the accident on their emotional and mental health.

Widespread attention is not paid to traffic accident victims who suffer emotional or mental injuries themselves as a result of the trauma of the accident, or the struggle they face in dealing with their physical injuries. An experienced auto accident attorney understands that these injuries can be just as devastating as the physical ones. At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, we believe you deserve to recover from any injuries you have suffered, including mental or emotional injuries.

Emotional stress after a car accident

Acar accidentit can lead to mental and emotional stress and trauma that can negatively impact daily life. Although most people may show more concernphysical injuries, they should be so concerned about the emotional distress caused by the car accident. Emotional distress refers to the disturbance experienced by an accident victim, even when there is no official medical diagnosis for their feelings.

Mental stress after a car accident can be a burden for accident victimsmany symptoms, Including:

• feelings of mental anguish
• Angst
• mood swings
• tantrums
• astonish
• feelings of humiliation
• Want
• sleep disordersand nightmares
• lose appetite
• Loss of interest in usual activities.

Similarmental symptomsit can seriously disrupt a person's life, making it difficult for them to go to work, go to school, or even get up in the morning. Some people may be too afraid of another accident to get in the car, which can prevent them from making necessary appointments for treatment and other commitments. In some cases, the emotional distress may be relatively brief, but these daily feelings and disruptions can last for some time, especially if the memory of your physical injuries lingers.

Post-traumatic stress disorder after car accidents

The emotional trauma of a car accident is a serious issue that causes the victim to experience extreme disruption in their daily lives. Some car accident victims can be diagnosed with a mental illness that developed as a result of the incident. The most common mental illness that people develop after a car accident isPost-traumatic stress disorder,also commonly known as PTSD.

Although PTSD is most commonly associated with soldiers returning from combat, the condition can develop after any traumatic event. Car accidents, especially extremely violent ones, can be quite traumatic for victims and trigger PTSD. As a matter of fact,Research has revealedthat about nine percent of car crash survivors develop laterPTSD as a result. In addition, many individuals with PTSD coexist with an intense fear of driving or a related anxiety disorder.

PTSD can have a significant psychological impact on a person's life. PTSD symptoms include:

• Recurrent, intense, involuntary memories of the accident.
• Flashbacks that sometimes lead to "blackout" periods
• scary nightmares
• Avoid anything that might remind her of the accident, like driving, driving, or even standing near a car.
• Intense emotional or physical distress after encountering a memory
• depression and isolation from society.
• self-mutilation

In order to cope with PTSD, an accident victim often requires regular therapy over a possibly longer period of time. They may also need medication and other supplies to help them return to everyday life. The cost of such mental health treatment can be as high, if not more, than treating your physical injuries.

Psychological long-term consequences of traumatic car accidents

Of course, people involved in nonfatal accidents can experience serious psychological distress such as PTSD, anxiety, depression and phobias. However, this still begs the question; What are the long-term concerns?

Likeresearch studyThe study, published in the BMJ, found that one-third of children involved in traumatic accidents not only experience psychological trauma, but continue to experience these symptoms up to a year later. This doesn't directly translate to adults, but another study found that the results were nearly identical in adults.

This study, published inAmerican Journal of Psychiatry, found that “one-third of subjects reported different rates and courses of PTSD, phobic travel anxiety, generalized anxiety, and depression at 3 months and 1 year.” While some victims reported improvement over time, others described psychiatric symptoms developing long after the accident. A significant portion of those reporting persistent symptoms were vehicle occupants, not drivers.

Emotional recovery after a car accident

We mentioned that these long-term effects can produce phobias, but the practical application of this fear is stifling. People with a driving phobia have difficulty getting to work, transporting their children, or performing everyday tasks that most people take for granted. Some people may experience anxiety symptoms when driving past the scene of an accident and experience similar states in a car (such as in a car).unfavorable weather conditions) or if they are triggered by anything else that reminds them of the accident.

These traumas from a car accident can be unexpected and debilitating, but there are things you can do to relieve some of the symptoms. Below are some steps you can take to recover from the psychological effects of a car accident:

• Talk to family, friends, and most importantly, your doctor about your feelings:There are very effective treatments for this type of condition and one should not avoid them for fear of stigma. People who are close to you may also give you advice based on their perception of your personality and emotions from a similar experience.
• Try to stay engaged in your daily life and routine: depression and anxietycan quickly take control of someone's life. However, try to stay active in your life, exercise routine, daily tasks etc. can make a real difference. Participate in activities that do not interfere with the injuries sustained during the accident. Your GP can help you determine how much you can safely do.
• Follow-up care at the family doctor:Your doctor may refer you to other healthcare professionals, mental health specialists, or therapists to help you manage your feelings. They can monitor your recovery and prescribe any medication you need.
• Try getting back to daily activities and routines:Car accidents cause some people to limit their activities. It is important to try to return to your usual activities. Even if you feel uncomfortable or anxious at first, that's part of the healing. Do not avoid driving or leaving home for fear of what might happen to you.
• Learn to be a defensive driver:Driving or driving a car can be difficult after an accident. You can reduce the risk of future accidents or injuries by practicing defensive driving. Always drive carefully, wear a seat belt, only drive when you are alert and not tired, never drive if you have used alcohol, drugs or medication that impairs your judgement, andAvoid distractionslike eating, making phone calls or sending text messages.

Seek compensation for emotional and psychological damage caused by car accidents

Many people realize that victims of car accidents canpursuit damagea car accident caused by negligent or intentional harmful behavior of the driver. Most injured parties claim economic damages in a car accident, e.gmedical bills, lost wages and disability costs. These damages have a monetary value; You can seek compensation from the guilty party based on the amount of these specific costs.

But you can also demand compensationnon-economic damagethat have no associated monetary value and are related to what you suffered as a result of a traffic accident. Some examples of non-economic damages includepain and suffering, loss of zest for life, loss of the consortium and mental trauma. A car accident attorney can help you calculate the non-economic damage caused and put a monetary value on the emotional and psychological effects of the car accident.

How can a lawyer help you in a car accident?

Most car accident victims lack the legal knowledge to properly file a car accident claim and participate in the process.Complaints Procedureto receive compensation. Hiring a car accident attorney is essential becausecan help negotiatewith the offender's insurance and take care of the stressful work so you can focus on your recovery.

This can be helpful if you are suffering from emotional or mental problems after a car accident as there is no way you want to deal with an insurance companylimit your liquidationto increase your earnings. Your experienced car accident attorney can help you gather evidence that demonstrates the effects of car accident trauma on your daily life. With their help, you could potentially get a settlement or compensation that could help you get your life back on track.

If you are a victim of a car accident, you deserve full financial compensation for all physical, emotional and mental injuries you have suffered. Proving emotional distress and psychological injury can often be more difficult than proving physical injury, despite the world's highly qualified auto accident attorneysDolman Law Grouplearn to collect and present evidence of all types of injuries so that you can get the best possible outcome in your case.

IsCar Accident Lawyersat Dolman Law Group provides personalized attention to ensure your thoughts and concerns are addressed in settlement negotiations. You may have special concerns caused by mental health issues caused by your car accident that we will address with compassion and empathy. Our goal is to get you the money you deserve to get your life back on track, which means we won't accept a settlement offer to put off the case.

We offer free consultations, so give our office in Clearwater, Florida a call727-451-6900or leave a message on ouronline contact pageif you think you might have a car accident today.

Workers' Compensation Attorneys of Dolman Law Group, Pennsylvania
North Belcher Road 800
Clearwater, FL 33756
727-451-6900