Long-Term Effects of Car Accidents: Emotional and Physical Ramifications
A car accident can be extremely traumatizing. You’re never fully prepared for the physical and emotional effects of a car wreck. However, recovery from the accident will usually start once the police have investigated the crash, you’ve received medical attention, and you’ve gathered police reports and other necessary documentation to take to your lawyer.
Nevertheless, the effects of the injuries can be long-term from a financial, physical, and emotional standpoint. Therefore, it’s important to know what to expect so you can take the necessary steps to heal after such an unfortunate event.
The Financial Aftermath of a Car Accident
Every ten years, the NHTSA studies the financial impact of motor vehicle accidents in the US. The statistics from 2010 are astounding. The agency asserts that the country’s total financial costs of traffic accidents were $242 billion. However, after quality-of-life evaluations, the total value of these accidents’ harm to society was found to be $836 billion.
Translated to real life, it means that all car accident victims likely experience some stress and anxiety from the money they have to pay to get a new vehicle or a rental until their case is settled. Add enormous medical bills, lost wages, long-term therapies, or a disability to this picture, and you get a clearer idea of what auto accidents can do to people and society.
If you need more information on dealing with the effects of a car accident, you can discuss more with a Mobile AL car crash lawyer from Morris Bart. A qualified attorney will go over the details of your car accident and refer you to professionals who can help you process your feelings after an accident and find effective ways to heal. You’ll get the resources you need for getting a fair settlement as well so you can receive the compensation you deserve for your pain and suffering.
Emotions You May Experience After a Car Accident
Some of your injuries may not be immediately obvious after your car accident. However, regardless of when you first notice an injury, it can have a long-term effect on you. Emotional or mental trauma is common after a car accident, especially if you’ve been badly injured or the at-fault party totaled your car.
Some of the mental and emotional effects you may experience after a car accident include emotional distress, mental anguish, anger, humiliation, shock, fear, and embarrassment. In addition, you may experience random crying spells, a loss of appetite, fluctuations in your weight, sexual dysfunction, extreme fatigue, and frequent sleep disturbances.
Studies also assert that one-third of the people involved in a non-fatal car accident have the symptoms mentioned above up to a year after the incident and can also experience phobias, depression, and PTSD. Therefore, recovery and treatment for these conditions could be calculated into the pain and suffering damages settlement.
Sleep Disorders and PTSD
According to the National Sleep Foundation, stress stemming from a traumatic event can cause sleep disorders. This is because stress will cause the brain to be overstimulated and release adrenaline and epinephrine in large amounts. It may be why it is difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep for long periods. In addition, fatigue during the daytime can make you less productive and more frustrated.
A study from the University of Wisconsin Medical School research team asserted that certain PTSD was common among people who survived car accidents. This condition is known as partial or subsyndromal PTSD. Victims who suffer from this condition tend to have hyperarousal and will re-experience symptoms in their minds. Therefore, the condition may increase victims’ chances of self-medicating or developing harmful addictions.
Physical Effects from a Car Accident
Of course, several physical injuries are associated with a car wreck. These can include head trauma such as brain injuries and neck injuries like sprain or whiplash. Accident victims also describe spine and back injuries like strains, fractures, and sprains, as well as disc injuries.
Injuries associated with a collision’s long-term effects can include TBIs, paralysis, or amputations. These major damages can have a profound impact on your mind and emotions.
Bottom Line
The financial, physical, and psychological aftermath of the accident can affect your daily activities and your ability to care for yourself and your family. Consult with an attorney as soon as possible after your auto crash and seek justice and damages. It will take you some time to overcome the trauma, but you can start putting your life back on track with the money you receive from the settlement.
About the author:
Early in her journalism career, Cheryl Roy had a revelation: there were not enough experts reporting on law issues. Legal matters are part of daily life. Yet, there seems to be a general aversion towards them. One of the main reasons for this is that the convoluted legal language is difficult for many people to follow. Therefore, she decided to change how the law is perceived by the public.
