If you have recently been injured in an auto accident in the San Fernando Valley, you are probably focused on your physical injuries. But what many accident victims do not know is that emotional and/or mental trauma is quite common following a car crash and you have the right to seek financial compensation for both.
Emotional Pain and Suffering
As we have discussed, a car accident victim can recover financial damages for emotional pain and suffering. Many injured victims, however, pay little attention to the effects of the car accident on their emotional and mental health. They are too busy dealing with physical injuries (broken bones, whiplash), mounting medical bills, and unhelpful insurance companies to focus on potential emotional trauma. This isn’t right.
Emotional distress
An experienced auto accident attorney understands that emotional distress and mental trauma can be just as devastating, and long lasting, as physical injuries. Common symptoms of emotional distress can include:
- Anxiety
- Mood swings
- Disrupted sleep / nightmares
- Dramatic weight gain or loss
- Anger problems
This list is not exhaustive. It is important that you seek professional medical help if you are experiencing any of the above symptoms after being involved in a serious auto accident in the San Fernando Valley.
Mental trauma
Not surprisingly, the most common mental trauma suffered by an accident victim is post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. Often associated with soldiers returning home from war, PTSD can develop after any traumatizing event. Car accidents, especially multi-car crashes, hit and runs, and rollovers, can trigger PTSD. Many of those who suffer from PTSD after being injured in a car accident have an intense fear of driving.
Symptoms of auto accident-related PTSD can include:
- Flashbacks
- Terrifying nightmares
- Triggers when driving in a car, even as a passenger
- Depression
- Self-harm
Recovering from PTSD is often an on-going process that involves professional counseling and understanding from friends and loved ones. Many insurance companies do not want you to know this, but the medical bills associated with your therapy should be covered by the negligent driver’s insurance company, or even your own.
If you or a loved one was seriously injured in a Woodland Hills auto accident and are suffering emotional distress or mental trauma as a result, you need to speak with an experienced personal injury lawyer about recovering financially for your losses.
For more information on the financial recovery associated with emotional and physical pain and suffering resulting from a car accident, contact Woodland Hills accident lawyer Barry P. Goldberg today.
