What Is it Like to Be in a Car Accident?
So often, people focus on the physical trauma of being involved in a car accident while forgetting about the profound emotional and financial impact an accident can have on an individual. Car accidents are sudden, violent, and stressful events that have repercussions long after the initial impact. Although physical scars may fade with time and treatment, sometimes the emotional scars of a car accident remain. Like physical trauma, emotional trauma can impact a person’s quality of life and interfere with daily activities.
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At De Castroverde Personal Injury & Accident, we want to help accident victims and their families understand the troubling emotional impact of what it is like to be in a car accident. Understanding how a crash impacts different people can help you cope with the trauma associated with an accident and help you find ways to move forward.
Trauma that Stems from Car Accidents
A violent car accident causes more than physical injuries. It can trigger emotional trauma that haunts an accident victim for months or years after the collision. How does trauma manifest? It depends on the circumstances of the crash, the severity of a person’s injuries, and the unique factors that make us all human. We all cope with physical and emotional stress in different ways. A car crash impacts each individual profoundly and uniquely, so pinpointing the damage caused by emotional trauma can be challenging. No one experiences and responds to an event the same way as anyone else.
It can also be hard to pinpoint what causes emotional trauma after an accident. Sometimes, the accident leads to anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder because of the sudden and brutal nature of the crash. In other cases, depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues arise because of an accident’s significant physical toll on a person’s body. It is common for individuals with significant scarring and disfigurement following an accident to face mental health challenges during recovery as they cope with pain and physical changes to their bodies. Traumatic brain injuries can also trigger changes in behavior and personality, leading to mental health concerns for car accident victims.
Although everyone experiences trauma in unique ways, some of the most common signs of trauma and mental health issues stemming from car accident cases include:
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Panic attacks
- Fear
- Isolation or feelings of loneliness
- Mood swings
- Changes in eating habits
- Changes in sleeping patterns
- Fatigue
- Sudden emotional outbursts
- Irritability
Post-traumatic stress disorder is also a common mental health diagnosis after a car collision. PTSD is a mental health disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts, avoidance, changes in mood and thoughts, and changes to a person’s physical and emotional reactions. Signs of PTSD can take months to manifest and may impact every facet of a person’s life.
PTSD is a severe mental health disorder that should be addressed and treated by a medical professional. Unfortunately, many people are so focused on treating their physical injuries after a car collision they forget about taking care of their mental health. Talk to your doctor immediately if you or a loved one are experiencing any signs of trauma or mental health distress.
Emotional Pain and Suffering Options
Recovering compensation for emotional pain and suffering can be challenging. Pain and suffering fall under the umbrella of non-economic damages. Calculating the value of economic damages is straightforward. These are things like medical expenses and lost wages. Non-economic damages are subjective. How do you put a price on emotional distress like pain and suffering?
You must consult with a knowledgeable Las Vegas car accident attorney to recover the compensation you deserve for your physical and emotional losses. First, an attorney can review your situation and help you get the necessary care. They can also outline your legal options for recovering maximum compensation, whether that is an insurance claim or filing a personal injury lawsuit. Your attorney also calculates the fair value of your claim, totaling your financial losses and accounting for mental anguish when appropriate. Using this figure, your attorney can aggressively negotiate for your deserved money.
Do Lost Wages Relate to Mental Issues After an Accident?
Mental health conditions brought on by a traumatic car accident can make it hard to return to work and manage regular daily tasks. If you’ve missed work due to mental health concerns stemming from emotional distress following a car collision, you may be able to seek compensation for those missing wages. However, these claims can be challenging because emotional distress doesn’t leave the same scars as physical injuries.
Discuss your case with an experienced Las Vegas car accident attorney who can thoroughly review your situation and collect evidence supporting your claim. You may also attempt to recover compensation for emotional anguish and loss of quality of life on top of your missing wages and medical expenses. However, the value of your case can vary. It is vital to talk to an attorney as soon as possible to understand your rights and determine which legal path offers you the best opportunity to recover the money you need.
Contact a Las Vegas Car Accident Attorney Immediately to Discuss Your Claim
Never dismiss mental health concerns. After a car accident, your mental health is as crucial as your physical health. Do not overlook your mental well-being. No one knows what it is like to survive a car accident until it happens to them. Know that you are not alone, and help is available. At De Castroverde Personal Injury & Accident, our legal team is dedicated to helping you find the resources you need to address your mental health. At the same time, we aggressively fight to recover the compensation you deserve for all your car accident-related injuries.
Contact our Las Vegas office now to request a confidential consultation and share your story with our compassionate legal team.