Are You Suffering From PTSD After A Miami Car Accident?
August 11, 2021 | Sagi Shaked | Car Accidents
If you’ve been involved in a car accident in Florida, you can typically seek compensation for losses related to your accident by filing a claim or lawsuit. Although legislation to make Florida an at-fault state is pending, it currently remains a no-fault state for car accidents and car insurance.
That means your primary method of seeking compensation after an accident will be to file a claim to collect from your own insurance.
However, if your injuries and losses are severe enough, you could potentially file a claim against the insurance of the negligent party who caused your accident.
You may typically seek compensation for economic losses like medical bills and lost wages. However, victims with serious injuries may also be eligible for non-economic damages to cover losses without a financial value, such as pain and suffering due to Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Only a qualified professional can determine if you have developed PTSD. The following overview will help you understand the causes and effects of PTSD.
What is PTSD?
PTSD is a mental health condition that affects individuals who have been through traumatic experiences. When most people think of PTSD, they envision military veterans and active combat traumas.
However, a car accident can also cause PTSD. Someone with this condition may suffer from a range of symptoms that can impact their quality of life.
Common symptoms of PTSD include the following:
Difficulty Sleeping
It’s fairly common for individuals with PTSD to struggle with sleeping through the night. They may have nightmares or night terrors related to their injury. Alternatively, they may have general insomnia.
Flashbacks
An unexpected flashback to a car accident is another way PTSD can interfere with someone’s daily life. Very often, these flashbacks occur when a person is exposed to something that reminds them of their traumatic experience. For example, you may have a flashback when seeing a depiction of a car accident on TV.
Avoidance Behavior
Many people with PTSD begin avoiding circumstances that remind them of traumatic experiences. Avoidance behavior can affect a person’s life dramatically. In some cases, people who develop PTSD after car accidents find themselves unable to drive comfortably. Naturally, this can affect someone’s life in many ways, including one’s ability to travel, commute, and accomplish daily tasks.
Irritability
Ask your loved ones and friends if they’ve noticed any changes in your behavior following your accident. Often, people with PTSD become more irritable or prone to agitation than before the wreck. Some even develop anger issues.
Depression
This is one of the most common symptoms of PTSD. If you’re struggling with depression after your car accident, you should seek treatment from a mental health professional.
Guilt
You may not have caused your accident. Regardless, you might find yourself feeling guilty and wondering what you could have done differently to avoid being harmed. This is another symptom of PTSD that often goes unrecognized.
Seek Medical Attention to Preserve Your Injury Claim
A basic overview isn’t enough to confirm you have PTSD. If you believe you have developed PTSD after a car accident in Miami, you should seek medical attention immediately. Receiving prompt medical attention for PTSD may reduce its symptoms and effects. It can also help you strengthen your claim for damages against the party who caused your accident.
Your medical provider will document your symptoms and provide a diagnosis of the severity of your PTSD. This medical record provides valuable evidence of your injuries for an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit. If you can prove that another driver caused your accident, you could be entitled to economic and non-economic damages related to your PTSD.
Economic damages could include the costs to diagnose and treat your PTSD. They might also include counseling or therapy to help you cope with its symptoms. Non-economic damages could compensate for your pain and suffering related to your condition, including the emotional distress and inconvenience the PTSD causes.
A Miami personal injury attorney can help you maximize the value of your damages. Your attorney will gather evidence of the other party’s fault and estimate your claim’s worth. They may work with medical experts to help prove the severity of your PTSD. Contact an attorney today for help with your PTSD claim.
Contact Our Car Accident Law Firm in Miami, FL
If you’ve been injured in an accident in Miami, FL and need legal help, contact our Miami car accident lawyers at Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation.
Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers
20900 NE 30th Ave Suite 715
Aventura, FL 33180
(305) 937-0191