PTSD from Car Accidents

cartwrightlaw - March 23, 2023 -

Car accidents are a leading cause of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the United States. Below, we look first at what PTSD is and then at how it functions in car accident victims. If you have injuries and PTSD from a crash, speak with a car accident attorney about your rights.

PTSD Overview

PTSD is a psychiatric disorder that occurs in some people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event, series of events, or set of circumstances. The sufferer may experience the event as emotionally or physically harmful or life-threatening. The experienced threat leads to mental, physical, social, and spiritual damage. Originally identified in the context of “shell shock” or “battle fatigue” among veterans, the APA now recognizes PTSD as occurring in accidents, natural disaster, sexual assault, and spousal abuse. 

More car accident victims than you might imagine develop PTSD. People with PTSD experience intense, disturbing thoughts and feelings relating to their experience. These feelings last long after the event has ended, causing the sufferer to experience flashbacks and nightmares. They may experience sadness, fear, or anger and become detached and estranged from others. Often, victims will avoid situations and people that remind them of the traumatic situation, and they can have extremely negative reactions to an ordinary loud noise or physical contact. 

A diagnosis of PTSD requires the victim’s exposure to an upsetting, traumatic event. Exposure includes directly experiencing an event, witnessing the event happening to others, or becoming aware that a traumatic event happened to a close family member or friend. 

Typical symptoms of PTSD include the following:

• Intrusion – repeated involuntary memories, distressing dreams, and flashbacks of the traumatic event that can be so vivid that victims feel as though they are reliving the experience.

• Avoidance – Victims will avoid reminders of the event, including people, places, activities, and situations that may trigger memories. 

• Alterations in Thought and Mood – Victims may be unable to remember the event or aspects of it. Ongoing negative thoughts and feelings can lead to distorted beliefs about the victim or others. People with PTSD may also be irritable, have emotional outbursts, and behave recklessly or self-destructively. 

Treatment of PTSD

For most post-car accident victims of PTSD, the disorder is temporary, with symptoms that disappear over time. For those who do require professional treatment, it can be one of several types of treatment. The common treatments include several forms of cognitive behavioral therapy. Among those that have been successful in treating PTSD are:  

• Cognitive processing therapy – an evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy designed specifically for treating PTSD. It concentrates on changing painful emotions and beliefs resulting from the trauma. 
• Prolonged exposure therapy – a method of treatment using repeated exposure to the trauma through a detailed reimagining of the events. This exposure to PTSD triggers in a safe environment can reduce their impact and teach coping skills.
• Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy – A PTSD treatment designed primarily for children and teenagers.
• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing for PTSD – Administered over about three months, this therapy helps you to reprocess the memory of the trauma and experience it differently. Eye movements similar to those in dream sleep are recreated and help to change thoughts, images, and feelings. 
• Group therapy – A form of therapy that allows trauma victims to share their experiences and reactions in a non-threatening environment. Group members help victims to recognize that their responses to the trauma are typical and common. 

Medication, such as some forms of antidepressants, can also be helpful in controlling the symptoms of PTSD. Other medications help to lower anxiety and physical agitation, as well as sleep disturbances. 

After a car accident that wasn’t your fault, you can recover compensation for PTSD treatment just as you do for any other injury from your accident. However, to do so, you need to:

• Seek medical treatment for your PTSD
• Obtain a medical professional’s diagnosis of your condition
• Expert testimony that your PTSD derives from the accident
• Expert testimony that your PTSD is negatively affecting your life

If you are experiencing symptoms of PTSD after an automobile accident, you should obtain immediate medical treatment and speak with an attorney experienced in vehicle accidents. An attorney can ensure that you seek and receive all of the compensation you are entitled to since they will be more aware of the types of compensation you should seek. 

The value or amount of your potential recovery for your car-accident-related PTSD will depend on your individual experience and the severity of your symptoms. Insurance adjusters, judges, and juries usually consider the following factors:

• Whether the accident involved any fatalities and whether you consciously witnessed them
• The nature and severity of all of the injuries in the accident, particularly those you actually saw happen
• Your prognosis for recovery and the need for ongoing future medical treatment
• The financial impact of your PTSD. This sum includes present and future medical expenses, as well as the impact of PTSD on your ability to earn a living and lost income
• Pain and suffering (physical and mental) caused by your PTSD can be significant

As with all personal injury cases, it is critical that you not settle your case too soon. An insurance company is likely to give you an early, lowball offer in an effort to settle the case quickly and cheaply. It’s important not to respond emotionally by simply grabbing the first money offered and running. PTSD can require extensive long-term treatment, and your attorney will work to ensure that any settlement reflects this ongoing need. 

Speak With a San Francisco Car Accident Lawyer Today

If you or someone you love has experienced PTSD as the result of a car accident in San Francisco, you should contact an experienced accident attorney. The attorney will be familiar with the negotiation process and all of the possible kinds of recovery you need to consider. 

Contact us today for a free initial consultation and case evaluation. We have convenient locations in Santa Rosa, Vacaville, and Discovery Bay to best serve Bay Area clients.

PTSD is hard enough; you don’t need to be spending your time and energy fighting with insurance companies when a skilled lawyer can undertake that recovery for you. 

Car accidents are a leading cause of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the United States. Below, we look first at what PTSD is and then at how it functions in car accident victims. If you have injuries and PTSD from a crash, speak with a car accident attorney about your rights.

PTSD Overview

PTSD is a psychiatric disorder that occurs in some people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event, series of events, or set of circumstances. The sufferer may experience the event as emotionally or physically harmful or life-threatening. The experienced threat leads to mental, physical, social, and spiritual damage. Originally identified in the context of “shell shock” or “battle fatigue” among veterans, the APA now recognizes PTSD as occurring in accidents, natural disaster, sexual assault, and spousal abuse. 

More car accident victims than you might imagine develop PTSD. People with PTSD experience intense, disturbing thoughts and feelings relating to their experience. These feelings last long after the event has ended, causing the sufferer to experience flashbacks and nightmares. They may experience sadness, fear, or anger and become detached and estranged from others. Often, victims will avoid situations and people that remind them of the traumatic situation, and they can have extremely negative reactions to an ordinary loud noise or physical contact. 

A diagnosis of PTSD requires the victim’s exposure to an upsetting, traumatic event. Exposure includes directly experiencing an event, witnessing the event happening to others, or becoming aware that a traumatic event happened to a close family member or friend. 

Typical symptoms of PTSD include the following:

• Intrusion – repeated involuntary memories, distressing dreams, and flashbacks of the traumatic event that can be so vivid that victims feel as though they are reliving the experience.

• Avoidance – Victims will avoid reminders of the event, including people, places, activities, and situations that may trigger memories. 

• Alterations in Thought and Mood – Victims may be unable to remember the event or aspects of it. Ongoing negative thoughts and feelings can lead to distorted beliefs about the victim or others. People with PTSD may also be irritable, have emotional outbursts, and behave recklessly or self-destructively. 

Treatment of PTSD

For most post-car accident victims of PTSD, the disorder is temporary, with symptoms that disappear over time. For those who do require professional treatment, it can be one of several types of treatment. The common treatments include several forms of cognitive behavioral therapy. Among those that have been successful in treating PTSD are:  

• Cognitive processing therapy – an evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy designed specifically for treating PTSD. It concentrates on changing painful emotions and beliefs resulting from the trauma. 
• Prolonged exposure therapy – a method of treatment using repeated exposure to the trauma through a detailed reimagining of the events. This exposure to PTSD triggers in a safe environment can reduce their impact and teach coping skills.
• Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy – A PTSD treatment designed primarily for children and teenagers.
• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing for PTSD – Administered over about three months, this therapy helps you to reprocess the memory of the trauma and experience it differently. Eye movements similar to those in dream sleep are recreated and help to change thoughts, images, and feelings. 
• Group therapy – A form of therapy that allows trauma victims to share their experiences and reactions in a non-threatening environment. Group members help victims to recognize that their responses to the trauma are typical and common. 

Medication, such as some forms of antidepressants, can also be helpful in controlling the symptoms of PTSD. Other medications help to lower anxiety and physical agitation, as well as sleep disturbances. 

After a car accident that wasn’t your fault, you can recover compensation for PTSD treatment just as you do for any other injury from your accident. However, to do so, you need to:

• Seek medical treatment for your PTSD
• Obtain a medical professional’s diagnosis of your condition
• Expert testimony that your PTSD derives from the accident
• Expert testimony that your PTSD is negatively affecting your life

If you are experiencing symptoms of PTSD after an automobile accident, you should obtain immediate medical treatment and speak with an attorney experienced in vehicle accidents. An attorney can ensure that you seek and receive all of the compensation you are entitled to since they will be more aware of the types of compensation you should seek. 

The value or amount of your potential recovery for your car-accident-related PTSD will depend on your individual experience and the severity of your symptoms. Insurance adjusters, judges, and juries usually consider the following factors:

• Whether the accident involved any fatalities and whether you consciously witnessed them
• The nature and severity of all of the injuries in the accident, particularly those you actually saw happen
• Your prognosis for recovery and the need for ongoing future medical treatment
• The financial impact of your PTSD. This sum includes present and future medical expenses, as well as the impact of PTSD on your ability to earn a living and lost income
• Pain and suffering (physical and mental) caused by your PTSD can be significant

As with all personal injury cases, it is critical that you not settle your case too soon. An insurance company is likely to give you an early, lowball offer in an effort to settle the case quickly and cheaply. It’s important not to respond emotionally by simply grabbing the first money offered and running. PTSD can require extensive long-term treatment, and your attorney will work to ensure that any settlement reflects this ongoing need. 

Speak With a San Francisco Car Accident Lawyer Today

If you or someone you love has experienced PTSD as the result of a car accident in San Francisco, you should contact an experienced accident attorney. The attorney will be familiar with the negotiation process and all of the possible kinds of recovery you need to consider. 

Contact us today for a free initial consultation and case evaluation. We have convenient locations in Santa Rosa, Vacaville, and Discovery Bay to best serve Bay Area clients.

PTSD is hard enough; you don’t need to be spending your time and energy fighting with insurance companies when a skilled lawyer can undertake that recovery for you. 

Our successful case results are a reflection of the values and virtues we believe in and uphold at Cartwright Law Firm. Nothing stops us from pursuing justice on behalf of those who need it.

Robert E. Cartwright Jr.
Founder and Managing Partner