Car accidents can cause more than just physical injuries. They can also cause long-term emotional trauma, which leads to debilitating conditions including anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A seasoned auto accident attorney can help you obtain relief from such suffering by proving you’re entitled to additional damages due to emotional distress.
Emotional Trauma from Car Accidents
Bodily injuries are easier to prove simply because the medical evidence is visible. Medical records also back up your claims long after the wounds have healed. On the other hand, emotional trauma is harder to prove because the evidence isn’t as obvious.
The stress caused by car accidents is often invisible, and the extent of the damage to the individual won’t be easy to determine. Survivors of car accidents can experience severe emotional distress, while others have symptoms that reduce their quality of life.
The Unseen Impact of Car Accidents
Often, it’s the victim’s mental health that gets severely affected by car accidents. Some people experience debilitating flashbacks, while others develop a fear of riding a vehicle or driving one. The suffering caused by physical injuries adds to the stress and depression one experiences after surviving such accidents.
A knowledgeable car accident lawyer will know what symptoms to look out for in their clients. Some of the critical emotional manifestations include:
- Social withdrawal
- Sleep disturbances
- PTSD
- Chronic pain
- Exhaustion
- Embarrassment
- Anxiety
- Guilt
- Anger
- Hopelessness
- Nightmares
- Fear of driving
- Irritability
- Depression
- Shock
- Nervousness
Anyone experiencing emotional trauma will have difficulty concentrating on any task. It will impair one’s ability to work, interact with others and perform daily duties in one’s life. According to researchers from Monash University, people respond to car accidents differently, with some leading to isolation and withdrawal while others feel hopeless and entertain suicidal thoughts.
A seasoned auto accident attorney will recommend getting a professional assessment by a trained therapist or specialist. These medical professionals can determine both the physical and psychological impact of the accident and the emotional trauma symptoms you’re suffering from.
They can also determine factors contributing to the symptoms you’re experiencing before and after the car accident. Mental health professionals will provide the necessary treatment and documentation, which can help build your case when you pursue compensation for emotional trauma.
Coping with Emotional Trauma
Coping with the ill effects of emotional trauma will take time, and for some victims, it may take months or even years of treatment before they recover. There are coping strategies accident victims can use to help them along the way.
Consider the following:
- Seek Professional Medical Help: Some accident victims may not experience physical injuries, but that doesn’t mean they’re not suffering from emotional trauma. Because they don’t see any injuries, they fail to seek medical help. As a result, some of the psychological symptoms they may be suffering from can go unnoticed without proper medical care. Seeing a mental health specialist can give you access to essential medications to help you manage emotional trauma symptoms.
- Stay Active and Exercise: Your doctor can recommend exercises that you can do that won’t affect any of your injuries. Medical professionals can recommend how much exercise you can do and how to do them safely. Exercise also helps to relieve stress providing you with a more positive outlook.
- Get Support from Others: Find someone to talk to and get support from people you trust. Talking to friends and family, counselors, and religious leaders can provide emotional relief. By letting your thoughts and fears out to someone else, you ease the emotional burdens you may be carrying, which can help you recover faster.
- Follow Up with Your Doctor: It’s important to undergo routine checkups and follow up with your doctors to monitor your recovery. They can refer you to mental health specialists who can help you work through your feelings.
- Keep a Journal: According to specialists from the US Department of Veterans Affairs, journaling can be an effective therapy for victims of motor vehicle accidents. It allows people to gain a deeper perspective of themselves and the difficulties they’re struggling with at the time. Journals also serve as records of your mental well-being and can be used as documentation to prove your case.
- Get Back to Your Daily Routines: Going back to your daily routines before the accident is essential to your full recovery. It’s an excellent way to regain control of your life once again. It may feel uncomfortable at first, but it will help speed the healing process.
- Improve Driving Skills: Riding a car or getting back behind the wheel may be difficult for some victims of car accidents. However, it’s a way to empower yourself and bring you closer to a full recovery. You overcome your fears by taking driving lessons and learning how to become a better defensive driver. Improving your driving skills also reduces your risk of getting into another accident.
Proving Emotional Distress and Getting Compensation
Apart from helping you cope with stress and anxiety, working with a seasoned car accident lawyer will help you pursue compensation for emotional distress and trauma. Expert legal advice will help you place a dollar amount for all your claims as just compensation for the difficulties you suffered.
A skilled auto accident attorney can use the medical documentation and other evidence to build your case. Part of the evidence may include observed trauma symptoms, medical diagnosis by trained professionals, underlying physical injuries and the recorded costs of the therapies and treatments. Your attorneys can also help you pursue out-of-court settlements if it’s the best way to get the compensation you deserve.
Work With an Experienced Attorney Today!
Texas laws are favorable to motor vehicle accident victims experiencing emotional trauma. Working with a highly experienced accident attorney in Texas improves your chances of success. They can build a strong case and help you secure compensation.
Call the Law Offices of David Kohm today at any of our convenient locations and get a free consultation. You can also contact us online by using our quick contact form.
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