Am I Eligible for Compensation If I Experience PTSD After a Car Accident?
A car accident can result in not just physical injuries but mental and emotional damage as well. Car crashes, especially those involving high-speed impact or serious injury are stressful and trauma inducing.
Sometimes, the stress responses your body produces to help you cope during a traumatic event continue once the event is over. This can result in post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD.
PTSD can interfere with your life just as much as physical injury. You may be eligible for compensation for PTSD after a car accident.
What Is PTSD?
When you witness an anxiety-inducing situation, your brain activates certain stress responses that are helpful in the particular situation.
These responses, sometimes called fight or flight responses, include increased heart rate, feelings of anxiety, and hyper-alertness, including inability to sleep and focus.
People suffering from PTSD continue to experience these symptoms long after the stressful event has passed.
PTSD manifests differently in different people, but some common symptoms are:
- Panic attacks;
- Anxiety surrounding certain events, places, or situations;
- Desire to avoid social interaction;
- Recurring recollections of the stressful event;
- Depression;
- Feelings of hopelessness or inability to feel emotions;
- Hyper-alertness;
- Paranoia; and
- Sleep disturbance.
If you were recently in a car accident and are experiencing any of these symptoms, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible.
How PTSD Affects Your Car Accident Claim
Several categories of car accident damages may account for the effects of PTSD on your life. Damages related to car accident PTSD might be included in damages awarded for pain and suffering.
One of the most important things about the effect of PTSD on your car accident claim is that you should avoid settling too soon after the accident. Often, the full extent of your PTSD symptoms will not be apparent right away.
Even if your symptoms have appeared at the time you agree to a settlement, you may not yet be aware of the extent of the effect these symptoms have on your life.
The avoidance and depression caused by PTSD may affect your personal relationships in the long term even though the short term effects are not evident.
How We Will Help with Your Case
The attorneys at Abrahamson & Uiterwyk can help you pursue compensation for PTSD suffered after a car accident. The experienced personal injury lawyers at our firm know how to use medical treatment records and other supporting evidence to establish that PTSD caused you losses following your accident.
We can also provide you with the negotiating leverage you need to avoid accepting an initial, inadequate settlement offer.
Our attorneys have over 30 years of experience handling car accident cases. This includes extensive experience helping our clients obtain the compensation they deserve for PTSD after a car accident. Your case will be handed with compassion and professionalism from start to finish.
Get Your Accident Questions Answered
Contact Abrahamson & Uiterwyk to get all of your car accident questions answered. Our experienced attorneys and staff will discuss next steps and recommend the best course of action based on the details of your car accident.
Call our office today to begin seeking the compensation you deserve for your car accident injuries, both physical and mental.