When most people think of car accident injuries, cuts, broken bones, concussions, and other injuries typically come to mind. However, car accidents often create emotional injuries in addition to physical ones. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is common. Nearly half of all car accident survivors report symptoms of PTSD after their crashes.
Because PTSD is so common, everyone should understand the symptoms of accident-related PTSD, how car accidents can cause PTSD, and other related topics. This article addresses those issues and also explains how an experienced Alabama car accident attorney can help you get compensation for PTSD after your accident.
What is PTSD?
The American Psychological Association (APA) publishes the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM, to help medical professionals diagnose mental health conditions. The current edition of the DSM, DSM-5, defines PTSD as “a psychiatric condition that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event or series of traumatic events.” This is known as exposure. Once exposure is established, four other factors must be considered:
Intrusion: Intrusion refers to the unwanted re-experiencing of the traumatic event. Intrusion requires at least one of the following:
- Unwanted memories of the event
- Nightmares
- Flashbacks
- Physical or emotional distress after being re-exposed to the traumatic event
Avoidance: The affected person goes out of their way to avoid things related to the triggering event. This could mean attempting to suppress traumatic memories related to the event or avoiding people or places connected to the trauma.
Changes in thinking and mood: PTSD requires negative thoughts or feelings caused (or made worse) by the traumatic event. The affected person must experience at least two symptoms such as:
- The inability to remember portions of the traumatic event
- Exaggerated negative beliefs about themselves
- Persistent distorted thoughts where the person blames themselves for the event
- Continuous negative emotions (e.g., fear, horror, anger, guilt, or shame)
- Persistent inability to experience positive emotions such as happiness or love
- Lack of interest in normal activities
- Feelings of isolation
Arousal: In psychiatry, “arousal” refers to a heightened emotional response. To satisfy a PTSD diagnosis, patients must experience at least two of the following:
- Irritability or aggression
- Risky or destructive behavior
- Hypervigilance
- Heightened startle reaction
- Difficulty concentrating
- Difficulty sleeping
For an official diagnosis of PTSD, these symptoms must last for at least one month and must affect the person’s daily life. Finally, the symptoms must be due to the traumatic event rather than an outside influence such as medication, illegal drugs, or another mental health issue.
How Can Accidents Trigger PTSD?
According to the APA, car accidents are the leading cause of PTSD in the non-military population. Car accidents have many features that can contribute to PTSD.
Severe accidents can be fatal or life-threatening. Going through or even witnessing such a high level of harm can create feelings of horror and helplessness, laying a strong foundation for lasting trauma. Other features of car accidents that make them a leading cause of PTSD include:
Car accidents often happen without warning. The inability to prevent this event can cause a person to develop a heightened state of fear or alertness as they attempt to prevent future accidents.
Accidents expose a lack of control, as even the best drivers are sometimes unable to avoid an accident. This reality can create a sense of powerlessness that in turn can lead to avoidance and hypervigilance.
Lasting pain, injury, or scars can provide constant reminders of the trauma.
Car accidents involve many senses: the sounds of screeching tires, the look of the shattered windshield, the smell of burning rubber, and more. The vivid nature of these recollections can fuel flashbacks, nightmares, and other PTSD signifiers.
After a serious or fatal accident, a person who walks away alive and uninjured (or less injured than others) may feel guilty about why they were so fortunate when others were not. This “survivor’s guilt” can cause several PTSD symptoms.
Recognizing the Symptoms of PTSD After a Car Accident
Like physical injuries, emotional conditions show up differently in everyone. However, there are some common symptoms of accident-related PTSD. These include:
- Constantly replaying the crash in your mind
- Having flashbacks or nightmares about the accident
- Avoiding driving or riding in cars
- Avoiding certain roads or types of roads (e.g. refusing to drive on highways)
- Feeling anxious or hypervigilant while driving
- Experiencing irritability or sudden anger outbursts
- Experiencing difficulty concentrating at work, school, or in daily tasks
- Feeling detached from loved ones or everyday life
- Constantly blaming oneself for the accident
- Suffering panic attacks triggered by driving or car sounds
- Having physical reactions like sweating, a racing heart, or nausea when reminded of the crash
For some people, PTSD symptoms appear immediately; for others, they develop weeks or months later. If you or a loved one are experiencing these or similar symptoms after an accident, seek medical attention immediately.
Getting Compensation for PTSD in Alabama Car Accident Claims
If you can prove that the other driver was negligent in causing your accident, you may be entitled to damages. Damages are money intended to compensate injured people for their injuries.
Many people think that compensation is only available for physical injuries, but Alabama allows people with emotional injuries like PTSD to get compensation for their injuries.
To get compensation, you will have to prove your injury. While a broken bone can be proven with an X-ray or MRI, PTSD is often invisible. However, your medical records can help. It may also be helpful to keep a journal that records your nightmares, anxiety episodes, avoidance behaviors, or other PTSD symptoms.
Getting Help With Ptsd After an Alabama Accident
Living with PTSD is difficult. Worse, insurance companies often resist paying claims that rely on emotional trauma like PTSD. They may claim that the injury is too subjective or exaggerated. However, an experienced Birmingham car accident attorney can push back against these insurance companies and help you gather the evidence that proves how PTSD has affected your life.
If you’ve been in an accident and are experiencing symptoms of PTSD or other emotional injuries, contact Collins Law, LLC. Our team works to get the best result for each client. We will go above and beyond to help you keep as much of your verdict and settlement as possible. We’ll even negotiate your medical bills. To learn more about what Collins Law can do for you, call us today at 205-588-1411 to schedule a free consultation.
