It is common among road accident victims to question how much compensation they can claim for anxiety after a car accident. Everyone typically tends to focus more on the physical injuries following the incident.
However, accidents sometimes cause mental trauma that road victims must deal with alone or by going to therapy. This might manifest in many ways and significantly impact the ability to live a normal life.
If a person was affected by a car accident that wasn't their fault, they might be eligible to claim anxiety compensation and physical injuries.
What Are the Common Symptoms of Anxiety after an Accident?
The symptoms vary from person to person and can manifest as a mild sense of unease or debilitating panic attacks.
One of the most considerable symptoms is travel anxiety due to a car accident. Travel anxiety may take many forms, and some people feel a build-up of symptoms before getting in a car. Others experience panic attacks and breathing difficulties.
The condition might make it challenging for victims to move past the accident and continue traveling like before. These issues can last for a couple of weeks or continue to haunt them for months or even years after the car accident. The intensity of anxiety symptoms often worsens from just the thought of getting inside a car.
Other symptoms may include a variety of mental, physical, and behavioral anxiety symptoms, such as:
Mental Symptoms: feeling tense, on edge, worried, alert, fearful, persistent, alongside sleeplessness, nightmares, and flashbacks.
Physical Symptoms: breathing difficulties, irregular heartbeat, headaches, loss of appetite, chest pain, and digestive distress.
Behavioral Symptoms: difficulty staying focused, hesitant to try new things, easily angered, unable to relax and enjoy leisure time.
Any of these symptoms can have long-lasting effects on one's health and well-being, often lowering the quality of life.
Anxiety should never be ignored, even though it is common and expected. It's not something someone should be embarrassed about, and it would be beneficial to speak with a mental health professional when experiencing anxiety after the accident.
How to Prove Emotional Distress after a Car Accident
It is challenging to demonstrate mental pain following a car accident since there is no objective, clear-cut estimate. While victims can measure their missed earnings and medical expenditures due to physical injuries, emotional pain is incredibly personal. The costs to them are intangible.
The best way to verify one's emotional pain is medical proof from psychiatrists or psychologists who can treat depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder. Documentation should illustrate the beginning and intensity of the emotional distress and a relatively good link between the accident and present emotional and mental effects.
How to Calculate Compensation for Anxiety after a Car Accident
There's no set compensation payout that's given for a personal injury, including anxiety. The compensation is estimated based on the injury type, severity, impact on the victim's life, and if the damage costs them financially. Many factors, such as loss of earnings, travel expenses for treatment, and prescription costs, are also estimated and included in the settlement where applicable. Also, learn more if insurance companies can go after uninsured drivers.
The victim needs auto accident attorneys in Long Island NY to evaluate the possible value of their claim and inform them whether there is good evidence for them to obtain compensation. However, if a person has anxiety with no physical injuries or recognized psychiatric injuries, they won't be compensated for the accident.
How Is Anxiety Treated after a Car Crash?
Before deciding on a therapy, the doctor should go through all the possibilities with the victim. This means the pros and cons of each option, including potential side effects of the treatment.
After thoroughly discussing these options, the victim can make an educated decision with their doctor about which treatment best suits their specific circumstances.
In most situations, the initial therapy indicated by the GP is to attempt to complete a self-help course, which is normally done with the use of an online course or a workbook, both with the assistance of a health expert.
If this does not assist with anxiety, the doctor may recommend psychological counseling or a course of medication. Psychological counseling needs to be led by a skilled professional and regularly practiced, so it becomes easier to heal mentally.
Have you been involved in a car accident in Long Island, NY? Don’t suffer because of someone else’s negligence. Schedule a free consultation today with an expert attorney at The Law Office of Carl Maltese. We’ll work to get you compensated for your physical injuries and anxiety!
Call us now at (631) 857-3703!