While a car accident's most immediate and urgent ramifications are physical injuries, they are not the only component. For many Florida drivers injured in car accidents, emotional pain and anguish stay with them for months or years, significantly affecting their quality of life. These invisible struggles are no less valid, and you deserve compensation if someone else's negligence caused an accident that resulted in this emotional pain and suffering.
Identifying Emotional Pain and Suffering After An Accident
Emotional pain and suffering is difficult to identify when compared to a broken leg or a bloody knee. Often, different people who experienced the same event will have vastly different reactions. Still, there are some behaviors that you can pick up on - either from yourself or someone you know involved in a car accident - that point to lingering mental health issues stemming from the accident. These include:
- Bouts of anger, sadness, or despair
- Shame
- Suicidal thoughts
- Extreme or sudden apathy
- Retreating inward and avoiding friends/family
- Insomnia
- Inability to relax or calm down
- Excessive or sudden crying
- Forgetfulness
- New substance abuse or substance abuse relapse
If you were involved in a car accident and are having negative thoughts or reactions, we recommend you seek help from a trained professional. They can assist you with working through your emotions and determine if you might be suffering from a mental health condition. Just like how ignoring a stiff neck isn't recommended after an accident, immediately addressing negative thoughts, no matter how small, ensures you get proper care and treatment for whatever you are going through.
Depression - Depression is an unfortunately common condition for many car accident victims. Depression is much more than a collection of sad thoughts - it can impact someone's entire life. Whether it's a constant fear of another accident that forces someone to retreat inward or sadness regarding their future health outcomes, depression can make someone unmotivated to work toward the future.
PTSD - Post-traumatic stress disorder manifests after someone endures a shocking, scary, or potentially life-threatening event. Common symptoms of PTSD include nightmares and flashbacks that force the victim to constantly relive their traumatic experience.
Anxiety - Anxiety can come in many forms, ranging from extreme anxiety regarding car trips to generalized anxiety that impacts every activity of the day. People who suffer from anxiety may also suffer from panic attacks and hyperventilation.
It's impossible to know what condition you might suffer from if you don't talk to a professional and express your thoughts. Taking proactive steps to address any emotional anguish following a car accident may also be an important part of eventually filing a claim for medical bills and emotional distress.
Valid Emotional Distress Claims
Every situation is unique, and the best way to know if your claim of emotional pain and suffering following an accident is valid is by talking to one of our attorneys in a free consultation. In most cases, an emotional distress claim also necessitates a physical injury. In car accidents, where injuries can often be devastating, many people develop symptoms of emotional distress due to the severity of their injuries, the loss of use of a limb, or the sheer shock and stress of the entire situation and recovery process.
While we hope you practice safe driving habits to limit your risk, car accidents can happen to anyone anytime. If you were injured due to someone else's negligence out on the road, contact Hale Law today. Our attorneys will fight for the compensation you deserve - to address all physical and emotional needs.