After a serious car accident, most people tend to focus on recovering from their
physical injuries. This is extremely important and is the first step for returning to a sense of normalcy. However, it is necessary to remember that physical injuries are not the only type of damage victims deal with after a car accident. Many crash survivors also experience serious and often long-lasting mental health issues.
While some of the emotional impact after a traumatic event such as a car accident can fade away over time, other psychological effects could linger and have a substantial negative impact on an individual’s work, relationships and general well-being. If you have been involved in a serious injury car crash and are experiencing emotional and psychological issues, it is important that you don’t try and deal with them on your own, and instead get the help you need.
Mental health issues are much like the physical injuries you sustain in a car accident. Speak with a doctor or psychotherapist who can help you secure medication and/or the appropriate treatment and therapy for your specific situation.
Common Types of Mental Health Trauma After a Crash
Here are some of the most common types of trauma we see individuals suffer after a car accident:
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): This is the most common health issue that crash survivors tend to experience. PTSD might present differently for victims and might not even fully manifest until several weeks after the crash. You may be experiencing PTSD if you are having recurring thoughts and flashbacks of the accident; experience emotional numbness or difficulty connecting with friends and family members; avoiding people, places and activities, especially those that remind you of the crash; are feeling a sense of hyper-vigilance or paranoia.
PTSD is not something that only soldiers in combat suffer. It can manifest in anyone who has experienced a traumatic event including crash survivors. Do not assume it will get better on its own. Seek help immediately.
Anxiety: Many victims tend to experience anxiety after a serious crash. Research shows that moderate and severe levels of anxiety can be present for several weeks or even months after an accident. Women are particularly believed to have high levels of persistent anxiety after a car accident. Anxiety can have a significant impact on one’s daily life. People with anxiety may face additional side effects such as panic attacks, sleep disorders, eating disorders, or even physical symptoms such as headaches, dizziness and muscle tension.
Depression: Depression is another serious mental health issue that car crash victims tend to experience. Some common symptoms include fatigue, lack of energy, feelings of guilt, lack of enjoyment in activities, suicidal thoughts, decreased focus or concentration, anger, irritability, inability to sleep and significant weight loss or gain.
Car accident victims may feel depressed because many lose their ability to work, exercise or enjoy everyday activities such as playing with their kids. Stress and worry about the financial repercussions of a car crash can also lead to depression. If you suspect you may be struggling with depression, it is imperative that you seek the counsel of a healthcare professional and receive the treatment you need.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
Injured victims of speeding or reckless drivers can seek compensation from at-fault parties for damages including, but not limited to, medical expenses, lost wages and benefits, hospitalization, rehabilitation, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident or pedestrian accident, or if you have lost a loved one in an auto accident caused by a negligent (careless) driver, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you.
For 50 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. Our law firm recently recovered $5,600,000 for a bicyclist who was hit by a van, and $2,550,000 for another victim of a truck accident, and $3,000,000 for a pedestrian who was hit by a car, and the full $1,000,000 insurance policy for a pedestrian who was hit by a truck, and $4,625,000 for a driver who was in a car and was hit by a van, and $2,500,000 for a man who fell through an improperly secured hole. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury and/or medical malpractice cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com