Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can have a major impact on a person’s life after an accident.
When you think of PTSD, what is the first thing that pops into your mind? If you’re like most Americans, you may immediately jump to veterans returning from a war zone, or someone who has been assaulted in some horrific fashion. But PTSD can occur from more mundane events — including things like car accidents and dog bites.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (commonly called PTSD) is a mental health condition that is triggered by a terrifying event. Being struck suddenly while driving in your vehicle, being bitten by a dog, being hit by a car or even suffering a bad fall can all be terrifying events. It isn’t surprising, then, that many people who have been in these types of accidents are diagnosed with PTSD.
The symptoms of PTSD vary from person to person, but may include having scary memories, nightmares, or flashbacks. A person with PTSD may have trouble functioning at home, work or school, and may be able to form close, satisfying relationships in their personal life. Severe fear, anxiety and/or depression are common features of PTSD, along with feeling emotionally numb or disconnected from other people. Someone with PTSD may avoid things that remind them of the trauma, and may even start to abuse alcohol or drugs in an attempt to feel better. It is vitally important to get diagnosed with PTSD if you are experiencing any of these symptoms, not only so that you can recover for your injury, but also so that you can heal and move forward. In most cases, some form of therapy and possibly medication are recommended to help patients with PTSD, including those who have been diagnosed with this condition after an accident.
While PTSD is often a result of an accident, it can be hard to quantify when it comes to recovering damages. How can someone put a price tag on their loss of emotional well-being? An experienced personal injury attorney can assist in this regard, helping to put a numerical value on this type of loss. The severity of the PTSD can be part of the equation, along with its impact on your daily life. For example, if you are no longer able to ride in a vehicle because it gives you flashbacks of the accident or causes intense anxiety, that will obviously have a significant negative effect on your daily life. If you lost your job because of your injuries — including coping with PTSD — then that may be part of your total demand for compensation.
If you have been hurt in any type of accident, the attorneys of the Law Offices of Larry H. Parker are here to help. For forty years, our firm has been dedicated to helping injured people recover for their injuries suffered in all types of vehicular accidents, bike accidents, pedestrian accidents, dog bites, slip and falls, product liability cases and more. We have recovered more than $2 billion dollars for our clients, and continue to fight every day to ensure that our clients get the money that they deserve for their injuries — including “invisible” injuries like PTSD. Contact our office today at 800-333-0000 or info@larryhparker.com to schedule a free initial consultation and learn how we can help you if you have been hurt due to the negligence of another person. We never charge a fee unless we get money for you!
