Physical injuries after a serious car accident are expected, and most people are able to figure out their next steps as far as physical recovery. However, emotional trauma happens almost as often as physical trauma, and many accident victims are either unaware of their symptoms or they are just confused about what to do next. Here’s what emotional trauma looks like, and what you can do to properly recover.
What is Emotional Trauma?
According to various national surveys, around nine percent of people who survive serious car accidents develop severe posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Victims also can develop other conditions such as depression, anxiety, and other related phobias relevant to the accident. Common symptoms that are included in many of these emotional disorders are: sleep loss and nightmares, moodiness and irritability, compulsive or obsessive behaviors, and social withdrawal. Everyone is emotionally affected by traumatic incidents differently, and the severity of these symptoms will depend on your specific circumstances. Emotional trauma, especially if not properly treated, can actually exacerbate any pre-existing medical conditions, or will worsen the physical injuries you endured from the same accident.
How Will Emotional Trauma Affect My Case?
Emotional distress and mental anguish are usually included in non-economic damages, which are also known as pain and suffering damages. These kinds of damages are not easily converted to dollar amounts, and there will usually be a cap on the amount you can recover. Fortunately, you can still be compensated for your emotional trauma if you record how you’re feeling after the accident. Include the underlying physical injuries and their severity, any previous emotional traumatic medical diagnoses, details of your symptoms, and how you believe the trauma could be treated in the future.
If you believe that you have suffered emotional trauma from a car accident, you deserve to be compensated for your pain and suffering along with any physical injuries. Contact our Los Angeles personal injury attorneys today for further assistance or a free evaluation.