PTSD And Related Emotional Distress Impact Survivors Of Car Accidents
"Violent car wrecks do more than damage a victim's body. They impact an individual's emotional and psychological health," stated Nejat Ahmed, a leading car accident lawyer and personal injury attorney in Plano and the Dallas metro area. "Victims who survive these high-impact car accidents, especially when one or more of the other occupants does not, often experience years of flashbacks, nightmares, fear, and more. It is a very traumatic event that affects almost every part of a person's life."
What is PTSD?
PTSD is an abbreviation for "post-traumatic stress disorder". It is the combination or sum of a person's reaction to a traumatic situation. According to the American Psychiatric Association, "PTSD is a psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist act, war/combat, or rape or who have been threatened with death, sexual violence or serious injury".
Dallas Ranks Fifth-Worst Among Top 25 U.S. Cities In Traffic Fatalities
The Dallas metro area has consistently ranked in the top 5 or 6 of worst U.S. cities for the number of traffic fatalities in the past few years. The majority of these fatalities are from car accidents. Many critics blame the poor condition of Dallas area roads and freeways. One statistic that stands out is that a recent analysis attributed 50% of the serious truck and car accidents to 8% of the city's streets. The Dallas City Council has taken steps to address the danger on these specific streets.
Overall, the city of Dallas recorded 35,355 traffic accidents in 2021, which is almost 100 per day. That does not include all of the cities that comprise the Dallas metro area. For example, Plano recorded 4363 traffic accidents in 2021.
The state of Texas recorded 4060 fatal traffic accidents in 2021. That is an average of 11 per day. There was not a single day during 2021 with zero traffic fatalities in Texas.
What Are The Symptoms Of PTSD?
The symptoms of PTSD can be described as disturbing thoughts and feelings that occur during the months and years following a traumatic event. The symptoms are commonly described as the following.
- nightmares
- flashbacks
- memory loss
- fear
- negative thoughts
- sadness
- anger
- self-isolation
- irritable
- loss of interest in favorite activities
- depression
A more formal categorization of PTSD symptoms from the American Psychiatric Association is below.
- Intrusion: intrusive thoughts, dreams, memories, flashbacks
- Avoidance: avoiding people, places, and activities that trigger distressing memories
- Alterations in Cognition and Mood: distorted thoughts
- Alterations in Arousal and Reactivity: angry, irritable, reckless, self-destructive, poor sleep
Why Is A Car Accident Lawyer Needed?
Personal Injury Lawsuits arise because a company or person has been negligent, reckless, and/or careless and injured another person. They should be compelled to pay for all of the damages, lost income, and medical treatments of the injured person(s).
Physical injuries from car accidents are much easier to identify and treat than emotional and psychological injuries. The effects of PTSD can be just as harmful to an individual's life as a physical injury. Recovery from PTSD is often more difficult and the treatment more challenging. That is why it is important for car wreck victims to contact a car accident attorney. An experienced and qualified attorney will make a difference. All car accident injuries, including physical, emotional, and psychological, should be treated.
How An Experienced Car Accident Lawyer Will Help A Car Accident Victim
Legal Knowledge
Personal injury lawyers know the specifics about comparative fault, the statute of limitations, and personal injury law.
Negotiation with Insurance Companies
The insurance company that is representing a reckless driver will attempt to limit the compensation paid to the victim. The victim of the car accident should receive full and fair compensation for all damages. A knowledgeable personal injury attorney will be the advocate for the victim.
Evidence
A car accident claim must have strong evidence to succeed. The attorney for the car accident victim will gather all the evidence possible to support their legal case.
Liability
A personal injury attorney will prove the liability of the at-fault or negligent driver. It is an advantage for an accident victim to have an experienced car accident lawyer to prove liability.
Compensation
An experienced car accident attorney will fight for full and fair compensation for the victim. This compensation will help cover all medical expenses including PTSD, all lost income, and more.
Settlement Options
Many times personal injury cases are settled out of court. This usually happens with the attorney representing the at-fault driver and his insurance company deciding the cost of a court case cannot be justified in a losing effort.
Court Case
If settlement options are unsatisfactory then the victim's car accident lawyer will sue the at-fault driver and his insurance company in a court of law.
Nejat Ahmed is a car accident lawyer and founding member of LeMaster & Ahmed PLLC based in the Dallas metro area and Plano metro area. Her practice is focused on car accident personal injury cases, litigation of complex insurance coverage issues, and first-party bad faith disputes involving commercial and residential property claims.
