EMOTIONAL TRAUMA OF A PERSONAL INJURY
After you’ve suffered personal injury in an accident, you’re likely to seek medical attention and treatment. However, you may feel that it’s quicker to either dismiss the emotional trauma you’ve endured or just deal with it on your own. An accident can create significant damage to your psyche, and you may need support while navigating through the aftermath of your initial injuries.
Car accidents, slip and falls, and workplace accidents — all can lead to emotional distress.
Emotional trauma can be an overlooked aspect of personal injury. However, when it is suffered at the fault of another, like all types of personal injury it deserves compensation.
Let’s take a look at the following questions and how they can impact the compensation you might receive for your emotional trauma:
Legally, what is considered emotional trauma?
How can emotional trauma impact your overall health?
How can you file an insurance claim for the psychological impact of your accident?
How can a personal injury lawyer help?
The legal definition of emotional trauma
Better known as emotional distress, refers to the emotional or mental suffering experienced as a result of personal injury. Although emotional distress is often linked to life-changing physical injuries, it can be experienced on its own as well.
Emotional trauma can lead to many symptoms including:
Anxiety — Memories of your accident may cause you to feel panic and experience physical symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, and sweaty palms.
Depression — Your accident may zap your enjoyment of life, cause numbness or overwhelming sadness, and may greatly impair your ability to perform daily activities.
Memory Loss — The trauma you’ve endured may cause short- or long-term memory loss. Although memory loss is often a symptom of a physical traumatic brain injury (TBI), it can occur as a result of emotional distress too.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) — You may feel like you’re reliving the suffering you endured in your accident and find that subtle triggers put you into a physical and emotional tailspin. PTSD can prevent you from fully healing and the ability to live your life.
Physical Illness — Emotional trauma can even lead to stress and persistent physical ailments such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and obesity.
Your trauma may impact you differently than others who may have suffered in similar circumstances — this doesn’t invalidate your struggles.
How a personal injury lawyer can help
Emotional trauma is hard to prove, yet it can be a valid and significant result of any type of accident. You don’t need the added stress of navigating through the legal system or dealing with reluctant insurance companies on your own. A personal injury lawyer can explore the merits of your case and support you in your claim.
When to file an emotional distress claim
Emotional trauma falls under the larger personal injury umbrella of pain and suffering. Thus, it’s considered a non-economic damage: This means that emotional distress settlements aren’t based on quantifiable, flat economic costs, but are up to the discretion of the insurance company or the courts.
Although some insurance companies do include emotional distress in their policy coverage, many emotional trauma claims are filed as lawsuits. Make sure you check with the policyholder’s insurer in order to file your claim on time. If you feel as though your emotional health may have been adversely impacted by your accident, it’s important to quickly seek psychological attention. Although a psychological professional may not be able to give you an immediate diagnosis, they can provide documentation to prove you’ve sought treatment.
Contact the Bono Law Firm for any questions.
After an accident, emotional trauma can create turmoil in every area of your life. You shouldn’t have to pick up the pieces on your own. You need a personal injury team you can trust to stand in your corner.
