May 7, 2024
What Are the Psychological Effects of a Car Accident?
Physical injuries are only part of the harm you may deal with after a car accident. Both the experience and the effects of your physical injuries could have profound psychological effects. You may be entitled to compensation for the psychological effects of the accident that you are enduring.
Listed below are common psychological effects from car accidents.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
The car accident itself lasts for only a brief moment. You may have had a quick realization right before the accident that it was about to occur. Even if it was only for a split second, you may be re-living this moment repeatedly for the rest of your life or for a considerable time. In addition, the realization that you were just in a car accident and the grave physical injuries that you have suffered could lead to trauma from the scene of the accident. Car accident victims often are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from both the accident itself and the immediate aftermath.
Psychological Effects of Brain Injuries
You can also suffer psychological effects because of your direct physical injuries. Some car accident victims will sustain a traumatic brain injury as a result of the accident. A brain injury can affect how you feel emotionally, leading to depression and changes in your mood. A TBI can keep you from sleeping properly at night, which can affect your emotions.
Anxiety and Depression
Your injuries may also have significant psychological effects on you. Even if you can recover at some point in the future, you are still dealing with physical pain from your injuries. You may be suffering from anxiety and depression, both from the car accident itself and knowing that you were injured. Pain and suffering are large parts of your car accident damages.
You Could Be Entitled to Financial Compensation
It is crucial that you do what you can to document the psychological effects of the car accident. You should certainly see a mental health professional so they can begin to write treatment notes that detail what you have told them. The insurance company will want to see a record of the psychological effects because they will not take your word for it. You should also keep a log of your day-to-day experiences after the accident to present to the insurance company or a jury. Remember that any type of psychological injury is subjective in nature, and the insurance company has a financial incentive not to listen to your story.
Depending on your insurance coverage, your car accident damages are not limited to the actual economic costs. If you have full tort coverage, you can sue the other driver or file an insurance claim to receive non-economic damages. If you have limited tort coverage, you can also file a lawsuit to receive compensation for psychological effects if you have suffered injuries that constitute a “serious impairment of a bodily function.” Either way, there is a chance that you can be paid for damages such as emotional distress and pain and suffering.
Contact Our Montgomery County Car Accident Lawyers at the Law Firm of Anthony C. Gagliano III, P.C. if You Have Psychological Injuries
Our Montgomery County car accident lawyers at the law firm of Anthony C. Gagliano III, P.C. can help you prove that the other driver was to blame for the crash and your psychological and physical injuries. Our attorneys’ help may be invaluable to your car accident claim. To learn more, call us at 267-861-7100 or fill out our online form for a free consultation. We have offices in Philadelphia and King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, and we serve clients in Montgomery County, Delaware County, Bucks County, Chester County, and Norristown.