By FindLaw Staff | Legally reviewed by Stephen Smith, Esq. | Last reviewed December 13, 2021
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Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a behavioral health condition often associated with those who have experienced the devastation of war. However, wartime traumas are not the only cause. Anyone can develop PTSD after experiencing or witnessing a fearful or life-threatening events like natural disasters, sexual assaults or, as addressed in this article, car accidents.
When a car accident is severe enough to cause PTSD, there are ways that you can use the legal system to recover for losses caused by the impact of PTSD on your life. Below you'll find out more about PTSD car accident compensation claims and what they may mean for you.
Due to the increased frequency and risks of harm associated with car accidents, they've become one of the leading causes of PTSD. Even in accidents involving relatively minor injuries, the potential for PTSD exists because it's tied more to a person's reaction to an event than the event itself.
Accidents involving serious injuries usually involve traumatic responses in victims, so they're typically a good indicator that a victim could develop PTSD in the future. Other indicators can include:
Most damage claims after a car accident are classified as either special or general damages. Losses which are easier to value, such as medical bills and lost wages, are considered special damages. Damages that are more difficult to convert into dollars, such as pain and suffering, mental anguish, or loss of enjoyment of life are considered general damages.
Placing a value on the impact of PTSA on your daily life would be part of a general damages award. Because it may not be as easy to calculate a dollar amount related to your PTSD, it will be necessary to prove your PTSD and related damages through expert testimony. Such testimony would be needed to establish:
One factor to consider in cases with PTSD car accident compensation claims is the impact that a victim's PTSD may have during trial. In one case, a woman suffering from PTSD due to a crash causing extensive injuries to her hand was advised by her doctor that re-living the incident on the stand could worsen her symptoms. She was ultimately not called to the stand, but making symptoms worse is a very real concern for PTSD victims. In that case, the evidence was convincing enough that the victim was awarded $30 million in general damages alone.
Another factor to consider in cases involving car accident PTSD is the time it may take to identify and diagnose the condition. Because PTSD is not understood as well as other medical conditions, car accident victims and/or their family members may not see the warning signs until they get intense enough to seriously and negatively impact the victim's life.
This delay in diagnosing and treating symptoms not only impacts the victim's well-being, but may also interfere with the ability to recover any damages associated with the condition. This could be due to the damages being left out of an initial personal injury claim or because the statute of limitations has already passed by the time that PTSD is diagnosed.
Given the unique nature of PTSD and related car accident compensation claims, it's important to have your case reviewed by an experienced professional. The difference in the outcome of your case could be dramatic. Don't take a chance with your future. Reach out to a personal injury attorney near you today to learn about your options.
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