Being involved in a car accident can lead to serious injuries. However, not all of the injuries are easily noticeable. Some injuries, such as emotional trauma aren’t visible to the naked eye, but they do have just as big of an impact on the victim as a physical injury.
Emotional trauma has considerable effects on a person’s life. Some people might be tempted to tell the victim to just get over it and move on with life. This isn’t usually possible, especially if the problem has gotten so severe that it is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
PTSD can have damaging effects
When PTSD occurs because of a car crash, there is a chance that the victim won’t be able to ride in a vehicle without having an episode. PTSD triggers for episodes are almost always related to the incident that caused the PTSD. Imagine how difficult life would be if you couldn’t ride in a vehicle again. This could make it hard for you to get to work or to go buy groceries. It can also impact your social life if you can’t get to places to spend time with your friends.
PTSD victims often need help
A person who has PTSD can’t just move on with life unless they get help. Professional help is often necessary. Many times, behavior therapy and other types of therapy are necessary to work through the issues that are causing the person to have episodes. This might involve people having to face the issues in a controlled environment so that they can learn coping mechanisms that help them to deal with these situations when they have to face them on their own again.
Family members can suffer, too
The effects of PTSD don’t end only with the victim. Family members can suffer, too. These family members often have to witness PTSD episodes and help their loved one through them. This can be traumatic for children who might not understand what is going on. In some cases, the family members have to keep a close eye on the PTSD sufferer because of a risk of suicide. Finding the fine line between helping the person and pushing too hard can be difficult.
These car crash victims might opt to seek compensation for the effects of the crash, including emotional trauma and physical injuries. Compensation may be in the form of damages for medical bills, therapy sessions, missed wages and other factors associated with the accident.
Source: Nov. 30, -0001
