Far too many people are injured in car accidents every day. Fortunately, the majority of collisions aren’t deadly; however, any type of crash from a severe to minor accident can lead to any of the following emotional injuries:
- Anxiety. Although some car accident victims will experience short-lived anxiety that can last from three months to one year, others suffer from long-term anxiety when driving. Additionally, many passengers in accidents suffer from anxiety and often feel nervous when riding in a car with someone else.
- Fear. Many people who have been involved in car accidents, whether they are seriously injured or not, are frightened to get behind the wheel again. Sometimes they are okay to drive, but they have a fear of driving on the same road, passing the accident site, or driving in the same weather conditions as the accident.
- Depression. Car accidents have caused many people to suffer from depression. Mainly this illness occurs following a serious physical injury or deformity. Depression can last a long time and cause people to lose interest in things they once loved, lose interest in people or their jobs, and struggle with intense feelings of sadness and hopelessness.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). There are many car accident survivors who suffer from PTSD symptoms following a crash, especially after witnessing a fatality or suffering a serious injury. Some of these symptoms can include irritability, emotional numbness, feeling detached from people, having flashbacks, constantly reliving the trauma, and seeing the car accident over and over again.
Although not every person involved in motor vehicle collisions will experience emotional injuries or any of the aforementioned psychological complications, many people do. For those who suffer any type of emotional injury, it can be life-changing—as work and personal relationships are often negatively affected due to the stress of such emotional trauma. This is why people who are affected emotionally after a crash need to seek professional help.
Because talking to a counselor or seeing a psychiatrist can be expensive, it is important to talk with an accident injury attorney about making the best possible financial recovery so that you can make the best possible emotional recovery. The truth of the matter is that the emotional trauma of being in a car accident is very real and needs to be accounted for in your financial recovery, but insurance companies will often try to deny emotional injury claims.
We can help you get the maximum compensation so that you can heal from your emotional injuries in the best way possible. Please call us today for a free consultation at 703-721-4233.
About Attorney Lisa D. Barnett
Lisa Barnett is a senior attorney at Shevlin Smith. She focuses her practice on plaintiff’s cases associated with medical malpractice and catastrophic injury cases. She has tried more than 30 jury trials and is board certified as a Civil Trial Attorney by the National Board of Legal Specialty.