Car accident victims think immediately of the most obvious injuries like broken bones, lacerations, and soft tissue damage. Less apparent, but still devastating, are injuries to the psyche. One of those is known as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
If you were in a car crash, you may not realize that you’ve developed PTSD since it is less obvious than other injuries. You may also not yet appreciate the true depth and symptoms of the injuries involved. The experienced Houston personal injury attorneys of Hernandez Sunosky, LLP can help you claim PTSD or emotional distress damages if you have been in a collision.
What Are the Symptoms of PTSD?
Knowing the signs of PTSD can help you or your loved one get the professional treatment they need. According to the National Institutes for Health (NIH), PTSD symptoms include:
- Re-experiencing the trauma through flashbacks, recurring dreams, and distressing thoughts
- Persistent avoidance of thoughts, events, or situations associated with the accident
- Arousal and reactivity symptoms like being easily startled, feeling tense, and difficulty sleeping
- Cognition and mood symptoms such as trouble remembering key details of the accident and intensely negative emotions
A mental health professional may diagnose a Houston accident victim with PTSD if they display all of these for at least one month. The above and other symptoms may begin to cause additional complications such as:
- Sleep deprivation and associated problems like lack of focus
- Avoidance of physical intimacy
- Social isolation and withdrawal
- Substance abuse, especially if the victim attempts to self-medicate
How is PTSD Treated?
If you suffer from PTSD, your symptoms may last for several years if it is not treated. The symptoms can persist long after your body has healed from the physical injuries you sustained in your car wreck. Fortunately, you do have treatment options.
Depending on your symptoms, a licensed therapist may treat your PTSD through:
- Exposure therapy: This involves gradually exposing the victim to the trauma they experienced in their Houston car crash. It may include having the victim think about the experience or visit where it happened. The objective is to help the victim manage their fear and stress.
- Cognitive restructuring: Here, the goal is to help the victim make sense of the trauma. Victims often feel guilt or shame for what they think happened, which it turns out is not their fault. This approach can allow the victim to realistically think about the event.
- Medications: Many psychiatrists prescribe anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications that allow the victim to perform daily functions while undergoing therapy. Only a licensed psychiatrist who will monitor treatment should prescribe these medications.
Can I Claim Compensation for PTSD in a Houston Car Accident?
Texas law allows victims to seek compensation for intentional or negligent infliction of emotional distress in a car accident lawsuit, depending on the specific facts of the collision. The differences between these two are:
- Intentional infliction of emotional distress (IIED): This means the at-fault party intentionally caused the victim to suffer emotional distress. An example would be a road rage accident resulting in bodily injury.
- Negligent infliction of emotional distress (NIED): In this situation, the victim’s PTSD results from careless or negligent conduct. NIED is more common and may involve accidents in which, for instance, the at-fault party was speeding.
The specific damages from your PTSD will vary depending on your experiences. Most Houston car accident claims will seek reimbursement of medical expenses associated with the PTSD. This will include therapy and prescription medications that you need.
Your attorney will probably also put in a claim for pain and suffering. Other damages like lost wages and loss of consortium (the inability to have relations with your partner) will depend on your specific circumstances.
Call Our Firm if You Are Suffering From PTSD as the Result of a Traffic Accident
Involvement in a motor vehicle accident can cause you to suffer PTSD. But you may qualify for compensation for expenses that are related to your PTSD. To learn more, connect today with the experienced car accident attorneys of Hernandez Sunosky, LLP.