Car accidents can impact victims in many ways and some of them may be invisible to others. If a careless driver hit you and left you with not only physical but mental injuries, you might be entitled to compensation.

PTSD specifically can change everything about a victim's life. Read on to find out more about this particular form of mental injury and what to do to get paid as a result.

1. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

When you consider how traumatic a car accident can be for most people, it's not surprising that some victims suffer from anxiety, depression, mood disorders, and more after an accident. Just as with physical injuries, the mental effects of a car accident can be part of the total compensation package. In most cases, the term pain and suffering is used to describe this area of compensation.

Unfortunately, symptoms can get worse for the victims of PTSD. With this disorder, accident victims may be affected for the rest of their lives. PTSD can affect victim's relationships, their ability to work and earn income, and so much more. Some victims of PTSD are so traumatized by the accident that they are never able to drive a car again. 

2. Accidents and PTSD

This disorder is tricky and may occur with almost any kind of crash. However, certain types of accident factors may produce greater chances for an occurrence of PTSD:

  • The severity of injuries of both the victim and others. It may be impossible for some to forget how a loved one was injured.
  • If someone died, things can be more difficult for the driver even when they did not cause the crash.
  • When multiple vehicles were involved, it can create a confusing and chaotic crash scene.

3. Get the Compensation You Need

Just as the medical treatment for your physical injuries is covered by the other driver, so are your mental health treatment needs. Unfortunately, mental health care can be very expensive—sometimes as expensive as medical care. Take the following actions to ensure you are paid for your PTSD expenses:

  1. Seek both medical and mental health care from a professional practitioner.
  2. Keep up with all expenses.
  3. Keep a journal and make daily entries about your struggles to get better after the wreck. Include both physical and mental issues.

Before making a mistake and speaking to the at-fault driver's insurer, speak to an accident lawyer about your case.

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