Car accidents hurt millions of American drivers and passengers every year. While most of the focus is on the physical trauma and the pain that affects the body, some people forget that car crashes always include emotional trauma as well.
All car accidents have some level of emotional trauma
Even a low-speed accident in Wisconsin, without any serious damage, causes a bit of emotional trauma — even if it is just the shock of the car accident itself or the immediate fear of a ruined day, getting to work late, dealing with the insurance companies and body shop and all of the accompanying stressors that come with those interactions. Those are all emotional traumas at some level.
Lingering effects
For others, especially following more serious accidents, these effects can linger longer. The initial shock and stress stays with them, cars begin to cause anxiety and restlessness begins. For many, these lingering effects will pass over time. For others though, the effects only worsen.
Post-traumatic stress
Post-traumatic stress can follow a car accident. If the repeating mental reel of that car accident invades your waking hours incessantly and then begins causing nightmares, your day-to-day quality of life will diminish. Indeed, imagine how hard life becomes with poor or no sleep that racks-up over days, weeks, and months.
Can impact everything
These post-traumatic stress symptoms may continue to worsen until you get help. Thos symptoms can start to change who you are and how you present yourself, which others will notice. This can affect your personal and professional relationships as well as, potentially, your job.
What to do if I begin to have lingering effects?
If your emotional trauma seems to last longer than a day or two, as a best practice, consult with your doctor, and then your attorney. If you need ongoing counseling or some other mental health intervention, your personal injury lawsuit can pay for that current, ongoing, and future mental health treatment. You do not have to live with the pain and suffering a negligent person caused.