Going through a car accident can be a harrowing experience. Even as your physical injuries heal, you might find that you’re still left with psychic and emotional scars. Many accident victims even suffer from PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder. Mental health problems like this can upend someone’s life and make it hard to work. If you are suffering from PTSD after a crash and you think that you deserve compensation, a San Antonio, Texas car accident lawyer from our firm may be able to help.
What Are Some Symptoms of PTSD?
PTSD can manifest in many ways. Some of the common symptoms include:
- Trouble sleeping
- Issues concentrating
- Mood swings
- Anxiety
- Recurring memories or dreams of the event
People with this disorder can end up reliving the accident over and over again. Some feel like they have to avoid the area where the crash occurred. These kinds of issues can make it difficult to hold down a job or handle their daily routines.
What Kind of Evidence Can Help With My Case?
It would obviously help to have a diagnosis from a doctor. You can’t “see” PTSD, so some people get accused of faking their mental health issues. Unfortunately, insurers will do everything that they can to avoid paying out a large settlement after a car accident, and casting doubt on a claim of PTSD is easy for them to do. Having a doctor back up your assertions can make a big difference.
Other pieces of evidence that can help include your medical records and therapy notes. Testimony from witnesses, like your friends and family who knew you pre- and post-accident, may also be helpful. We also recommend keeping a journal about all of your injuries from the crash and your road to recovery. This can help you show exactly how you’ve been affected.
What Damages Can I Win If I Have PTSD?
You can be reimbursed for the economic and non-economic damages caused by the accident and your PTSD. Obvious costs like medical bills and lost wages should be part of the conversation, but so should mental anguish, loss of enjoyment, and pain and suffering. Just because these non-economic damages are harder to quantify, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be compensated for them.
Do I Need a Lawyer?
PTSD isn’t an injury that others can easily see. You can’t point to a cast or bandage and use that as evidence of your problem. Experienced personal injury lawyers can always be helpful in cases like this, but they can be especially helpful in situations where mental health issues have manifested after an accident. We can help you build a stronger case that makes it clear how your PTSD has affected you.
Contact Our Firm
If you want help fighting for the compensation that you deserve, contact Sahadi Legal Group. We can schedule a free case consultation and tell you more about your legal options and what our attorneys can do to assist you.
