Not all injuries from a car accident are physical. Car accident survivors can also deal with challenging mental health conditions after the accident, including PTSD.
As one of Central Kentucky’s premiere car accident firms, we hear these questions a lot: Can PTSD be included in my claim? How much of a settlement can I get if I document my PTSD symptoms? What costs can I include in my PTSD claim? What is the average settlement for PTSD after a car accident?
We can answer those questions! First, let’s address how car accidents can cause PTSD.
PTSD Symptoms Following a Car Accident
If you are involved in a serious car accident, you may end up suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. In addition to contusions, lacerations, broken bones, head injuries, and even spinal injuries, car accidents can cause mental health symptoms like anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
PTSD is caused when a person survives or witnesses a traumatic event and struggles to recover after the fact.
Common PTSD symptoms may include:
- Revisiting unwanted memories of the event
- Extreme physical and emotional reactions to these memories
- Nightmares
- A need to avoid situations related to the traumatic event
- Heightened or exaggerated reactions to situations that are perceived as threatening
- Periods of general anxiety
- Depression
- Thoughts of suicide or self-harm
- Insomnia
- Feelings of guilt or shame
- Migraines
- Hypervigilance
- Isolation from loved ones
- Loss of interest in previously enjoyable activities
- A sense of detachment from the world
These things may be signs of a very serious mental health concern. If they are related to an accident, make sure to tell your treatment providers that they began following the event. Insurance companies often try to argue the symptoms are not related. If the medical records are silent as to when they began, it only gives the companies fuel for trying to reduce your settlement.
How Long Does PTSD Last After a Car Accident?
PTSD is different for everyone.
For some people, it may last weeks or months. For others, it could last years. Untreated, PTSD can be a lifelong condition that may get worse with time.
Treatment for PTSD Following a Car Accident
Treatment for PTSD looks different from person to person, but it may include the following strategies.
Medication
Anxiety, depression, insomnia, and PTSD are all able to be targeted by specific medications that can be prescribed by a doctor or psychiatrist.
Unfortunately, medication can be expensive, and the doctor’s appointments needed to consistently get prescriptions refilled are time-consuming in addition to being expensive.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a form of talk therapy that focuses on making connections between what a person is feeling, thinking, and doing. The goal is to change patterns of thought to change behaviors.
Exposure Therapy
Under the care of a trained mental health professional, people suffering from PTSD can slowly expose themselves to the source of their anxiety to slowly and steadily remove the association with danger or fear.
Can You Sue for PTSD After a Car Accident?
Yes, you can sue for the costs associated with treating PTSD after a car accident, and for compensation related to the condition.
When someone is responsible for another person’s injuries in a car accident, the victim can pursue legal action against them to collect compensation that goes above the maximum insurance coverage.
Average PTSD Settlement After a Car Accident
It isn’t easy to give a precise answer about the average settlement for PTSD because every case is different.
Here is a general rule to go by: the more extensive and expensive your injuries are, the higher your compensation should be. PTSD symptoms and treatments are included in those calculations.
In your personal injury lawsuit, you will provide documentation of all of the costs related to the accident, including:
- Medical bills
- Doctors’ appointments
- Medication
- Therapy bills
You’ll also be able to document a continued need for mental health care related to the accident because these conditions do not disappear when the lawsuit is settled. How the condition impacts the quality of your life is the ultimate determination of how much you are entitled to receive.
Get Help from McCoy & Sparks–Central Kentucky’s Trusted Car Accident Attorneys
Getting compensation for non-physical injuries requires more knowledge of the law than the average individual. That’s why it’s so important to work with an experienced and compassionate car accident attorney.
McCoy & Sparks offers this kind of support to car accident victims in Central Kentucky and the surrounding areas.
We are here to protect your rights and help you get the compensation you are owed. Our dedicated team will work closely with you to learn the details of your case and how you have been affected by the accident. We will work to find out who is responsible for your injuries, and then we will hold them accountable.
To set up a free consultation, contact McCoy & Sparks, PLLC, at 1-844-4KY-WINS, or fill out our online form.