Mental Health and Personal Injury Claims: Addressing Psychological Trauma

After a severe accident, your most immediate concern may be your physical injuries. Medical treatment may take care of your physical injuries. There may also be emotional injuries that can continue long after the physical wounds heal.

Psychological trauma after an injury accident can be challenging to understand. Just like medical care, your mental health should be taken care of after an accident. To understand how you can recover compensation for mental distress, talk to a personal injury lawyer for legal advice.

What Are the Psychological Effects of a Personal Injury Accident?

There is a lot of misunderstanding about mental health and traumatic events. It is easy to see the physical wounds of a traumatic injury. Your mental wounds, while maybe not as visible, are genuine and warrant compensation. They can take longer to heal and reappear months after the accident.

Physical injuries can affect your emotional well-being. If you are in a severe accident, make sure you seek out a mental health professional. This is the first step in getting the support you need for the recovery process.

If someone else was responsible for causing your accident, they should be liable for the damages. Accident damages include treatment for psychological trauma. A personal injury lawsuit can help you recover compensation for your psychological injuries.

What Are Traumatic Accidents?

Any accident that involves a serious injury or threat of harm can be traumatic. Examples of accidents that may result in psychological damage include:

• Motor vehicle accident
• Slip and fall accidents
• Workplace accident
• A dog bite or animal attack
• Birth injury
• Medical malpractice injury
• Violent crime
• Death of a close family member

Can You Suffer PTSD After a Car Accident?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious mental health condition. PTSD affects people who go through a traumatic event. Traumatic events that can cause PTSD include warfare, car crashes, or fatal accidents. PTSD can cause nightmares, flashbacks, panic attacks, sleep disturbances, and anxiety disorders.

A traumatic car accident can cause serious emotional trauma. This includes accidents where the injury victim is trapped or witnesses another person suffer severe injury or death. After a traumatic accident, it can be challenging to return to daily life. Victims of traumatic accidents may benefit from proper treatment. This includes support groups and counseling by mental health professionals.

What Are the Symptoms of Psychological Trauma?

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, common symptoms of emotional damage after a traumatic event include:

• Re-experiencing symptoms (flashbacks and recurring dreams)
• Avoidance symptoms (staying away from places or events that act as reminders)
• Arousal and reactivity symptoms (easily startled, difficulty concentrating, and difficulty sleeping)
• Cognition and mood symptoms (trouble remembering, feeling fear or guilt, and loss of interest in previous activities)

How Can You Pay for Therapy After a Personal Injury Accident?

Healthcare costs money. You may not have the resources to pay for physical health and mental health issues after an accident. If you have health insurance, your insurance company may cover your psychological conditions. Medicare and Medicaid may also provide medical care for covered individuals.

What Are Your Legal Rights if You Suffer Psychological Trauma Due to a Personal Injury?

If someone’s negligence caused your accident, they should be responsible for paying for your therapy and medical care. A personal injury claim is a way to get compensation for your damages. If you need mental health care after an accident, make sure you keep track of all your records. This includes psychiatric bills, therapy bills, prescription costs, and out-of-pocket costs. You can use these records as evidence of your economic damages.

Can a Personal Injury Lawyer Help Recover Damages for Emotional Distress?

Compensatory damages in a personal injury claim can include economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages include medical bills, lost income, and property damage. Medical bills for psychiatric appointments and psychological counseling are generally included as economic damages.

You may also be able to recover compensation for non-economic damages. Non-economic losses may not have a clear dollar value, but they are real losses. These include damages for pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment in life, and psychological distress. Your attorney can present evidence of your mental distress to the jury. The jury will determine how much money you should get to compensate you for your damages.

Don’t sell yourself short and take a quick insurance company settlement. Ensure you understand all your injuries and losses before agreeing to settle your claim. Talk to an experienced personal injury attorney for more information about compensation for your psychological trauma.