How Does Emotional Trauma Factor into Personal Injury Claims?
January 03, 2023If you’ve been involved in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, pursuing compensation through a personal injury claim may be a priority. You shouldn’t have to pay out of your own pockets when you’re not responsible for what happened.
Car accidents or lifelong complications caused by medical negligence are just examples of events that could result in emotional trauma, which will be an important part of your compensation. Reach out to a lawyer for guidance on your emotional trauma and how it can impact your personal injury claim.
What Are Non-Economic Damages?
When examining your case, your damages are typically split into two types of damages: economic and non-economic. The former has a specific monetary value, like your medical bills and car repair costs, while the latter depends on the circumstances of an accident and isn’t as easily quantified.
Your emotional trauma and mental anguish are crucial factors in your injury claim, as these symptoms can lead to complications in the future. They may be linked to a physical condition like traumatic brain injury (TBI), which can cause continuous episodes of depression and anxiety. This can reduce your enjoyment of life, and you deserve to be compensated.
How to Prove Emotional Trauma
Defendants and insurance companies are not going to give you the money you deserve as soon as you request it. They’ll challenge your statements and blame your mental health on pre-existing conditions. That’s why you need evidence that can back up your version of the facts and prove that the negligent party’s actions have damaged you emotionally.
The most convincing proof of what you’re going through is represented by documentation provided by a mental health professional. You can supplement this evidence through a journal where you describe what you’re going through from the date of the accident. Detailed records can’t be ignored by adjusters who want to deny your claim, so don’t forget to obtain them.
Physical Injuries Aren’t Necessary for Your Settlement
Many victims don’t consider the option to seek compensation if they’re not severely injured physically, but this is a mistake. It’s possible to be compensated even if you were able to avoid major physical damage. The events that led to an accident could have still traumatized you and negatively impacted your life.
In this instance, building a strong claim might be harder and require specific evidence that can convince insurance companies of what you’re going through, like a diagnosis of a mental health disorder that you wouldn’t be suffering from if the at-fault party exercised reasonable care.
Seek Guidance from a Personal Injury Attorney
Handling a claim on your own while you’re still traumatized by the events that transpired could result in additional symptoms and inadequate settlement offers that you’ll have no choice but to accept. But remember, you’re not alone. An experienced attorney can handle the paperwork on your behalf and help you obtain what you need to put your life together again.
The attorneys at Gross & Schuster, P.A. will work hard to gather the evidence needed to prove the emotional challenges you’re facing after an accident. You can get started immediately, all you need to do is give us a call at 850-434-3333 or reach us through our online contact form below to learn more about our free consultations.
