The fact that physical crash injuries heal long before emotional injuries is often overlooked. Crash victims in Pasadena and the rest of California have the right to be made whole again. Negligent drivers who cause car accidents must be held accountable for all the damage they caused, including emotional trauma that could cause diverse long-term mental health problems.
Fear
Auto accidents could leave victims with an uncontrollable fear of landing in similar stressful circumstances again. For example, a victim who drove the car when it crashed might be fearful of getting behind the wheel again. While some overcome that fear after a while, the daily lives of those who do not could be affected.
Depression and anxiety
People could show signs of anxiety and depression after involvement in traumatic auto accidents. Many victims suppress the symptoms like constant worrying, irritability and the inability to focus or concentrate. Other signs that they could be heading for more severe conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder include appetite loss, sleeping problems and no longer enjoying activities they liked doing before.
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Crash victims whose emotional trauma is not treated may develop PTSD symptoms. It could include involuntary memories and flashbacks of the traumatic accident. Nightmares could cause loss of sleep, which in turn, leads to the loss of concentration and focus. People with PTSD could become fearful and irritable, and without mental health therapy, they might never lead normal lives again.
If car accident victims can establish negligence by another party, they could pursue financial relief. While proving resulting physical injuries might not be too challenging, claiming damages for mental trauma could be significantly more complicated. However, with documented proof, filing a personal injury lawsuit against the other driver in a California civil court might cover current and future mental care expenses, lost wages and other damages.