Hasner Law | Car Accidents | March 31, 2021
Most individuals focus on their physical injuries after a car accident. They may need to undergo diagnostic testing, surgery, and physical therapy to heal from their accident injuries. The recovery process could take weeks or months.
However, many accident victims fail to consider their mental and emotional health after a traffic accident. Accident victims may sustain extreme emotional distress after a car accident. The trauma can result in feeling paranoid and anxious each time they ride in a vehicle.
What is Emotional Distress Following a Car Accident?
It is understandable to feel anxious and paranoid after a car accident. Many accident victims struggle with emotional distress. The symptoms of emotional distress can last for a few days or weeks after the accident. Some individuals may experience symptoms for several months or longer.
Emotions that are common after a car accident include shock, anger, guilt, denial, anxiety, fear, and irritability.
Common signs and symptoms of emotional distress may include:
- Fear or anxiety
- Crying
- Loss of appetite
- Sleeping problems, including night terrors or nightmares
- Feelings of anguish
- Bouts of anger and frustration
- Withdrawal
- Reduced energy
- Loss of interest in daily activities
- Self-medicating with drugs or alcohol
- Lack of focus
- Suicidal thoughts
- Flashbacks of the car wreck
- Mood swings
Some accident victims may develop diagnosable mental health issues, including Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD), depression, and severe anxiety disorders.
Emotional distress symptoms can cause many problems. A person may be unable to work or care for family members because of the debilitating effects. A mental health disorder could impair a person’s ability to work or go to school.
When Should You Seek Help for Emotional Damages After a Car Accident?
It is essential to seek help as soon as you notice the signs of emotional distress. Counseling and therapy can help you recover from the emotional damages caused by a car accident. It could take several months or even years to overcome the fears, anxiety, and emotional trauma caused by a car crash.
It is also important to recognize that children can suffer from emotional distress and mental trauma after a traffic accident. Studies have found that one-third of children involved in traffic accidents experience symptoms of mental trauma. The symptoms can last for many months or up to a year or more after the accident.
Make sure that you give yourself time to heal from your physical and emotional injuries after a car accident. Do not rush your recovery. If you are concerned about symptoms of emotional distress, talk with your doctor immediately.
Symptoms of emotional distress that do not ease within three months after the accident could be a signal that you may have developed a mental health disorder. It could also indicate the need for professional treatment to overcome the emotional consequences of a car crash.
Seeking Compensation for Emotional Distress After a Car Accident
Your emotional damages are as real and can be as debilitating as a physical injury. You can and should be compensated for the mental anguish and emotional distress you experience after a motor vehicle accident.
Compensation for damages may include the cost of mental health treatment and counseling. You may also receive compensation for the pain and suffering caused by emotional distress.
Placing a value on your emotional damages can be challenging. These types of damages are subjective, meaning they are diagnosed based on your reported symptoms. Seeking professional treatment documents the damages and helps prove your case for compensation.
Emotional distress is a category of non-economic damages. Non-economic damages are valued based on numerous factors. Generally, traumatic physical injuries, lengthy recoveries, and permanent impairments increase the value of non-economic damages.
If you continue to suffer from emotional distress, working with an experienced personal injury lawyer is the best way to protect your right to fair compensation. The insurance adjuster will downplay your emotional damages. He may suggest that you are exaggerating or making up your symptoms.
An attorney understands the evidence required to prove emotional damages. Your lawyer knows how to use the facts of the case to support a demand for maximum compensation for non-economic damages.
What Should You Do After a Car Accident?
Seek immediate medical treatment for your physical injuries. Pay close attention to your emotional and mental health. If you continue to feel upset, paranoid, or anxious after a car accident, talk to your doctor immediately. Your doctor may refer you to a mental health expert for further evaluation.
Seeking help for emotional distress is nothing to be ashamed of. Experiencing a traumatic event often results in emotional distress and mental trauma.
The key is to seek help as soon as possible so that you can recover. Documenting your symptoms also improves your chance of recovering a fair settlement for your injury claim.
Contact the Atlanta Car Accident Attorneys at Hasner Law PC For Help
For more information, please contact the Atlanta car accident law firm of Hasner Law P.C. at our nearest location to schedule a free consultation today.
We serve in Fulton County, Chatham County, and its surrounding areas:
Hasner Law PC – Atlanta Law Office
2839 Paces Ferry Rd SE #1050
Atlanta, GA 30339
(678) 888-4878
Hasner Law PC – Savannah Law Office
221 W York St
Savannah, GA 31401
(912) 234-2334