stress caused by accident

Emotional Impact of Accidents

We never expect to be in a car accident. It can be especially difficult to reconcile when the accident causes serious injuries. Most car accidents happen so quickly that you don’t have time to process your emotions until days or even weeks later. Even though car accidents are common, many people still feel a sense of shock that it happened to them. You may experience this feeling quite intensely if you sustained serious injuries in the accident, the driver was drunk, or he or she fled the scene.

Anxiety, Depression, and Anger Also Common After an Accident

When you’re a careful driver and you still get into an accident because of someone else’s negligent behavior, it can leave you feeling like you have little control over your life. If you dwell on that thought for too long, it could lead to chronic anxiety. You may be afraid to get into a car or to let loved ones out of your sight. The anxiety could get so bad that it interferes with work, caring for your family, and other things that you do every day.

It’s also possible that you could slip into a depression, especially if the accident left you with serious injuries. You mourn your old life and the physical abilities that you once had. If your recovery moves slowly or it appears you have sustained permanent injuries, the depression could be even worse. The most important advice we can give in this situation is to let the people close to you know what you’re experiencing. It might seem like no one cares when in reality they just don’t know how to help.

You might also feel anger at the person who caused the accident, which is certainly understandable if it left you with serious injuries. It may reach the point where you feel like you can’t let go of the desire to do harm to that person as he or she did to you. However, you must not act on such an emotion. It will only hurt your personal injury case and could even land you in legal hot water.

Seek Help Processing Your Emotions if Necessary

The emotions we described above are all normal responses to a trauma such as a car accident or any other type of serious accident. They are not wrong and you should allow yourself to feel them, but you may want to speak to a counselor if you struggle to move past them. Support groups for accident victims can be helpful as well. Another possibility is to draw or write about what you’re feeling.

Some people heal faster from the psychological trauma of an accident by involving themselves in activism. For example, you might create a petition for your local government if you feel that adding a stoplight at the intersection where the accident occurred might have prevented it.

Emotional Damages and Personal Injury Lawsuits

The emotional impact of a car accident can be just as devastating as the physical one. Mississippi state law recognizes this, which is why it allows you to ask for emotional distress damages in a personal injury lawsuit with no cap. Unlike economic damages that compensate you dollar for dollar, emotional distress is a highly subjective category that often rests on how much sympathy the jury has for your case. The more documentation you can provide and the greater the emotional impact, the higher the likelihood the jury will rule in your favor.

Gardner Law Firm is sorry that you experienced a car accident. When you retain our services, we work hard to hold the other party accountable and get you the financial compensation you deserve. This includes payment for emotional trauma. Please contact us in Biloxi at 228-436-6555, Hattiesburg at 601-582-4300, or Pascagoula at 228-762-6555 to schedule a free review of your case.