Following up with medical appointments to treat injuries and getting quotes to fix your car can be quite the handful after a car accident. Not everyone can bounce back the same as others who have gone through a scary crash. While that’s totally fine, it’s important to make sure that you are keeping track of your mental health among all the car accident follow-up you do.
In addition to seeking compensation for medical bills or car repair bills, you can file a claim to receive compensation for the emotional costs of an accident too. These are known as pain and suffering damages.
Here are three ways the accident you were involved in might impact your emotional well-being and make you qualified for pain and suffering damages:
- Mental anguish
The physical pain you experience can take space in your mind and cause you to feel anxious, stressed or even depressed. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, car accidents can cause individuals to experience problems sleeping at night and fear driving places because they develop post-traumatic stress disorder.
- Diminished enjoyment in life
It’s possible that some of your day to day life might change after being involved in a car accident. For example, if your broken leg limits your mobility, then you might feel distance between your friends or partner because staying at home to rest is easier than taking your crutches to social outings.
- Reality of long-term injuries
Maybe after receiving professional treatment for your injuries, you find out it’s common that people who went through what you did to have chronic pain or even a shortened life span. So, one event could ultimately change the course of your life. You could have experienced severe whiplash that permanently impacts the way you move your neck or a traumatic brain injury that might limit your life expectancy.
Whether your injury causes you distress for a short or long period of time after the accident, you might be able to recover damages. Keep in mind that the extent of your suffering could be different from those who were in the car with you at the time of the crash, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go after the justice you deserve.