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Car Accident Trauma is More Extensive than Perceived
Automobile accidents often end in physical injury. Sometimes they can result in death. Terrifying and morose experiences, even a slight car accident can cause emotional and psychological damage that are not apparent to the casual observer. These particular types of injuries can lurk, undeterred for years after an auto accident.
Anxiety, depression, shock, fear, embarrassment, humiliation, and emotional distress are all instances of emotional damage caused by a car accident, especially in Sacramento. Even the mildest of emotional distress cases can exhibit bouts of crying, sleeplessness, anger and happiness. Mild cases can eventually straighten themselves out but moderate to severe cases of emotional distress after a car accident requires professional help to conquer.
If you were under the impression that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder happened to soldiers alone, you were wrong. This malady occurs to anyone who experiences a traumatic event. It can manifest as car accident victims play the scene out over and over again in their minds. Replaying every morbid moment, victims can often become afraid of certain driving situations or driving at all.
Mental and emotional injuries are not always easy to prove in a trial concerning a car accident. When the effects are mild but palpable and life interrupting, the victims own testimony is all that is needed. However, should an issue like PTSD come up, it must be proven by a reliable medical diagnosis.
Once a claim of emotional distress is entered in a car accident case, the jury and insurance companies will consider first that it is in proportion to the size and detriment of the accident. As an example, consider the case of a young man that suffers only a small knee injury during a mild fender bender but claims major and extensive damage in court. Neither a jury nor an insurance company will accept or compensate such claims.
Even when the injuries are proportionate to the accident, a jury or insurance company can balk. If the victim sought no kind of treatment at all for the injury it will be hard for a jury or insurance company to justify compensation. If they do consider the injury valid, it will not be taken as seriously as an injury that required treatment.
Mental anguish is never a big player in car accident claims. For the most part, they are granted simply to show the insurance companies that the victims are real, hurting people and not only statistics on a page. Serious mental health claims can play a larger part than other mental issues but mainly they are only a minor part of this type of legal claim.
If a claim for emotional distress exists in your Sacramento car accident case, consult with Moseley Collins to make sure you are represented correctly. A trusted attorney with many years of car accident law experience, Moseley Collins can get you the compensation you deserve.
