Can Car Accidents Cause Anxiety?

There are few experiences more terrifying than being injured in a severe car accident. These events can leave a person with anxiety and stress for months or years after the collision occurred. Because of this, car accidents are among the most recognizable and common causes of anxiety today.

If you’ve been injured in a collision and find yourself dealing with anxiety, stress, and difficulty coping with daily activities, it’s vital to understand that the accident and the mental trauma are likely linked. Anxiety and trauma must be treated like any injury following a car accident. The Barnes Firm’s top car accident lawyers often find that accident victims experience some extent of mental anguish long after a severe car accident occurred. Accident victims should be compensated for all damages sustained from an accident they didn’t cause, including anxiety.

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How Do I Know If My Anxiety is Related to My Car Accident?

After a car accident, victims undergo many tests and treatment for physical injuries that they suffered. Bodily injuries are treated immediately, while emotional and mental wounds, unfortunately, are often ignored.

Anxiety can manifest in many ways. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and generalized anxiety diagnosed after car accidents can affect a victim’s ability to:

  • Drive or ride in a car
  • Sleep through the night
  • Focus on or finish tasks

Experts explain this trauma as the result of the brain’s incapacity to dissect and recognize a traumatic event as it’s taking place. Consequently, strong emotions and memories become embedded in a person’s reasoning. When memories of the accident are triggered, they can cause a person to experience anxiety and similar feelings.

If you’re suffering from anxiety symptoms after a car accident caused by the negligence of another driver, an experienced car accident attorney can help you recover compensation for this difficulty brought on by no wrongdoing of your own.

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Anxiety Can Occur After a Severe Car Accident

In a study by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, 55% of injured car crash victims reported feelings of anxiety while recovering from accident-related injuries. The study showed that as victims recover from their accident injuries, their level of fear and stress usually alleviates. Sadly, many accident victims do not seek help managing anxiety brought on by a severe car accident, meaning that any statistic or study may reflect lower numbers than in reality.

Accident victims suffering from anxiety can see their entire lives negatively impacted. The anxiety that’s related to car accidents can sometimes lead to behavioral changes that can cause:

  • Depression
  • Loneliness
  • Diminished ability to enjoy life
  • Irrational fears
  • Damaged relationships
  • And more

A knowledgeable car accident lawyer will strongly advise that accident victims seek treatment for their anxiety and emotional trauma as soon as possible after a severe accident. The sooner accident victims seek treatment for physical and mental anguish, the faster they can be on the road to recovery.

While treatment for anxiety and related symptoms can be expensive, a successful personal injury lawsuit covers these necessary costs. After a car accident, an experienced car accident attorney can help you understand the value of your injury claim and what you can likely expect for treatment cost, and pain and suffering.

injury attorney meeting client in office
injury attorney meeting client in office

A knowledgeable car accident lawyer will strongly advise that accident victims seek treatment for their anxiety and emotional trauma as soon as possible after a severe accident. The sooner accident victims seek treatment for physical and mental anguish, the faster they can be on the road to recovery.

While treatment for anxiety and related symptoms can be expensive, a successful personal injury lawsuit covers these necessary costs. After a car accident, an experienced car accident attorney can help you understand the value of your injury claim and what you can likely expect for treatment cost, and pain and suffering.

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What Can I Do if I’m Suffering from Anxiety After a Car Accident?

If you’re suffering from anxiety, stress, or depression after being injured in a car accident, the most helpful thing experts recommend is to seek treatment through psychiatric counseling. That can make a significant difference in dealing with everyday events that might trigger fears from your accident.

It’s also essential that accident victims contact a personal injury attorney with experience handling complicated car accident cases. If you think you may be suffering from anxiety, the last thing you need to worry about the legal ramifications of a car accident. Hiring a personal injury lawyer who will advocate for your rights against insurance companies and others will help you sooner receive necessary and valuable treatment.

Emotional injuries, such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD, are seen as compensable injuries in a personal injury lawsuit. A skilled injury attorney can help you recover the losses you’ve sustained from the accident so you can get the care that you deserve.

Contact An Experienced Car Accident Attorney At The Barnes Firm

If you’ve recently been in a car accident and are suffering from anxiety, depression, irrational fears, or any other emotional or physical distress, a personal injury attorney with experience winning car accident cases can help. Anxiety is an unfortunate symptom that many accident victims have to live with after experiencing traumatic injuries.

At The Barnes Firm, our professional car accident attorneys are highly trained in handling car accident cases. Many of our attorneys have been recognized for their work with accreditations, such as Best Lawyers in America and membership to the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with our dedicated car accident legal team by completing an online contact form or calling at (800) 800-0000.

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