Experiencing any car accident is an unpleasant experience. The experience can be very frightening. Injuries are common in many accidents. All injuries are not physical. Many injuries are not readily apparent at the time of an accident.
Accidents have a number of causes as well as many different outcomes. There are one car accidents as well as multi-vehicle crashes.
Unfortunately, some accidents involve a death. Survivors of accidents involving a death may be physically injured or physically unscathed. They are often impacted emotionally by the events for quite some time after the event. Psychological injuries are as important as physical injuries.
It is perfectly normal to experience some difficulty after any traumatic event. This might include:
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep, having nightmare about the accident
- Change in appetite including loss of or reduced appetite, or increased appetite
- Difficulty concentrating
- Irritability including being easily startled
- Those that experience a traumatic event might also have difficulty getting parts of event out of their mind. Some often describe the experience as “like watching a movie, over and over”.
- Being afraid to get into a car, either as operator or passenger, is also common.
- Reminders of the accident can cause a reaction including sights, sounds, and smells that were present at the time of the accident.
It is expected that these experiences lessen over a period of days or weeks. Having these symptoms for a brief period is often referred to as having a normal reaction to an abnormal event. Experiencing these symptoms for more than a month might indicate a need for help from licensed mental health providers.
The impact of being in a car accident is not always clear immediately following the accident. It is important to get legal advice as soon as possible. Passengers involved in motor vehicle accidents have an interest and rights that need to be protected. Contact our experienced law firm to provide you with the consultation and representation that you need.