Can a Florida Car Accident Cause You To Develop PTSD?
A car accident causes a great deal of stress for those who are involved, whether you’re the at-fault or aggrieved party in the accident. Most of the survivors would testify that their lives flashed before their eyes and that they can never look at roads and cars the same way again. This is just one of the many symptoms of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and a lot of people go through this since car accidents are common in Florida.
PTSD can be acquired by a person involved in an accident regardless of whether they are injured or not. It can cause a person’s quality of life to decline drastically, and the symptoms are to blame. If you get in a car accident in Naples, for example, you can contact car accident attorneys within that area. You may have been going through a lot due to the accident, and you definitely won’t deal with any legal issues that arise after.
Learn more about how PTSD can be developed after car accidents and its legal implications on the parties involved.
PTSD and Its Correlation With Car Accidents
PTSD is often associated with extremely traumatic events that can change the way a person thinks and behaves. This condition is common among soldiers returning from war since they may imagine or visualize the battlefields within the comfort of their own homes. They may also hear random gunshots, and only they can hear these noises.
This condition is similar to victims of car accidents. A car accident is a life-threatening situation that causes a person to retain the memory and recreate the same scene in their minds repeatedly. These are telltale signs of PTSD. These vivid memories can cause many symptoms, which are often treatable with long-term therapy or other treatment.
Symptoms of PTSD
The following are some of the symptoms associated with PTSD caused by car accidents.
Behavioral Changes
PTSD patients may blame themselves or other people constantly for how they feel. This feeling may lead to depression, emotional numbness, or despair. This may cause them to either shut themselves out or cause unnecessary trouble within their surroundings. At this point, doctors may prescribe antidepressants or psychotherapy with various treatments designed for PTSD patients.
Intrusive Thoughts
People with PTSD will have recurring thoughts about the car accident that will cause them to think that the same thing may happen to them again. The patient will have negative and unending thought patterns that will end up interfering with their daily activities. This can be extremely difficult, especially when they’re in the middle of other tasks like work or special events. Exposure therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy are often suggested for patients with intrusive thoughts as symptoms.
Sleeping and Concentration Problems
In relation to the intrusive thoughts, PTSD patients will have insomnia and an inability to focus on daily tasks. The frightening thoughts can get in the way of rest and, in the long run, be detrimental to their health.
Mood Swings
PTSD patients may try to stay happy and cheerful in front of people. However, when the facade wears off, they will continue to experience their PTSD symptoms and think about the incident over and over again. This shift in emotions can drain the patient and delay treatment.
Substance Abuse
The combination of the above symptoms may lead the patient to substance abuse — like drugs or alcohol. The patient may attempt to suppress these painful memories by drowning their minds in these substances. This will lead to more symptoms, including severe depression. The worst-case scenario is that the patient goes to rehab for substance abuse while the PTSD continues to harm their mental health.
Claims and Compensation for PTSD
Therapy for PTSD can be expensive, and the best resort is to get compensation from the at-fault party for your condition. Aside from the cost of therapy, you may also get compensation for lost wages, medical expenses, pain and suffering incurred, and loss of enjoyment in life. You will need medical records to show that you have undergone medical intervention after the incident and get a witness testimony to corroborate your claims in court.
With a reliable attorney, you must also prove that your PTSD caused a negative and irreversible impact on your life and that the condition was solely caused by the car accident.
You may also claim damages for all your accident-related injuries, fatalities, prognosis for the necessity to undergo future treatment, and other financial losses involved in the accident.
Get Medical Help and Hire an Attorney
Car accident survivors go through a lot of emotional distress, and legal issues should be the least of their worries. If you ever get involved in a car accident in Cape Coral, Fort Myers, or the surrounding areas, get medical attention first, and contact the attorneys at Avard Law Offices as soon as you can. They can examine the extent and nature of your injuries and request reasonable compensation for your injuries and financial loss. There is not enough compensation to make up for what PTSD patients have to go through, but having competent counsel by their side will at least give them peace of mind that someone is fighting for their rights in court.