When someone gets into a serious accident and is hurt, people tend to focus on trying to heal the broken leg or dislocated shoulder. However, once all the cuts and bruises fade away, you’re still left with mental and emotional scars that can follow you for years. Your emotions are valid, and these struggles need the same amount of attention and care that broken bones do.
Mental health is just as important as physical health, and we at Compass Law Group, LLP want to drive this point home for our clients. Our personal injury lawyers in Los Angeles have the insight to give you a glance into the mental health repercussions of a personal injury after a traumatic event, as well as what your legal options are for seeking financial compensation for these repercussions.
Common Psychological Effects of Personal Injury
Personal injuries after a serious incident, regardless of the severity, can have lifelong psychological consequences that follow you for years or even decades. Recovering and dealing with the fallout puts a significant mental toll on you, and this can lead to additional side effects. Common psychological side effects that can come from a personal injury include:
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): This mental health disorder occurs after a traumatic event. The victim will have intense anxiety surrounding things related to the event, flashbacks to the event, nightmares, and other debilitating symptoms. For example, if the injuries came from a car accident, then the person may be terrified to get in a car again or drive near where the accident occurred.
- Depression: Certain injuries require bedrest or other forms of stagnant behaviors to heal properly. This, along with the stress of a traumatic event, can lead to symptoms of depression. Depression is more than just feeling sad, it can be a feeling of intense emptiness, a lack of motivation, a sense of hopelessness and futility, or even dread.
- Anxiety: Everyone gets anxious from time to time, whether it’s before a big test or during a presentation at work. However, a traumatic event that results in serious injuries can lead to debilitating, chronic anxiety that can paralyze a person. The victim may be unable to leave their home due to not feeling safe, or they may not be able to do certain daily tasks due to fear.
- Emotional Distress: A traumatic event is an intense thing to deal with. Tensions and emotions run high, and this emotional distress can linger for months or even years after the incident. These feelings can include depression, anxiety, anger, frustration, sadness, hopelessness, weakness, and more.
- Chronic Pain and Mental Health: Some injuries can lead to long-term chronic pain even after the injury has healed. Their leg may have healed, but the pain in their knee never truly goes away. This constant pain takes a toll on one’s mental health, and over time this can lead to depression, anxiety, and other mental health struggles.
Physical & Mental Pain: They’re More Connected Than You Think
Society has unintentionally taught us to keep physical pain and mental pain in separate boxes with zero overlap. Mental healthcare is separate from physical healthcare, and we’re not taught enough about the importance of mental health and how it can bleed into your physical health. Many people don’t view mental pain as a real thing because you can’t see it in an x-ray or MRI scan and it can be subjective from person to person.
However, mental health is just as important as physical health. Not only does your mental health have a significant impact on your overall quality of life, it can start to affect your physical health. Mental pain can interfere with your body’s ability to heal after an injury, and it can damage your immune system and make you physically ill.
Legal and Financial Factors That Can Contribute to Psychological Distress
Once the traumatic incident has passed, other factors can add to your already growing mental health struggles. The legal system can feel like a maze you entered without a map or compass. Without a guide, this stress and frustration can stack on top of the trauma you’re already dealing with, and this can lead to intense psychological distress. You need a personal injury lawyer in LA to help walk you through the process.
Traumatic personal injuries and working through the legal system can also leave you with a stack of bills that can feel overwhelming. Economic uncertainty and hardship add additional layers of anxiety and tension that only pile more onto your mental health plate.
How to Cope with the Psychological Repercussions of Personal Injury
After a serious injury, it’s important to take care of your mental health as well as your physical health. Rest, let your body heal, and take the time to address the storm in your mind. Here are some basic tips to help you begin the healing process after a traumatic event:
- Get Professional Help: While it can feel nice to talk to a friend or loved one about the incident, they don’t have the formal training to help you healthily process those feelings. A trained and licensed therapist or psychiatrist can give you the tools you need to address your feelings and start to heal.
- Find Support Groups: There are tons of support groups out there, and it can feel reassuring to meet people who have gone through similar situations. It can make you feel less alone, and you can make new friends along the way.
- Prioritize Self-Care: You can’t pour from an empty cup, and you need to give yourself time to heal. While your body rests, practice self-care habits that make you feel good and boost your spirits. This can include taking a bath, crafting, or doing anything that brings you joy and makes you feel lighter. Be gentle with yourself during this time.
- Build a Support System of Loved Ones: Don’t isolate yourself or hide away. Building a community of friends and family that love and support you will help you feel less alone. Allow yourself to lean on them and take their hand when they offer it.
Compensation for Psychological Damages
Compensation for psychological repercussions after an incident is also known as non-economic damages. These are essentially damages that have no exact monetary value like medical bills do. During a personal injury claim, you can earn compensation for:
- Pain & Suffering
- Loss of Quality of Life
- Mental and Emotional Distress
- Loss of Companionship
- And More
Proving Pain & Suffering
Since pain and suffering damages can’t be quantifiably measured or shown on a chart, you need to find other pieces of evidence to support your claim. The best pieces of evidence to collect are your medical records after the incident. Get a detailed report of every bruise, cut, and broken bone that occurred from the incident, and use those to prove the amount of suffering you’ve endured.
Another option is to seek professional psychiatric health and get documentation of their visit notes and any diagnoses they provide.
How Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help
When juggling personal injuries and mental health struggles after an incident, working through the legal system is another weight on your shoulders. You need professional guidance to make the process as smooth as possible so you earn the maximum compensation.
Whether you’re looking for car accident attorneys in LA or a personal injury law firm, Compass Law Group, LLP is here to help. Our team of attorneys will point you in the right direction and get you on the road to financial compensation. We’ll treat your case with the respect and decency you deserve while also fighting for your rights. Give us a call at 310-289-7126 or visit our website to speak with one of our team members and go over your legal options.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the psychological effects of injuries?
Recovering from an injury can take a toll on your mental health. Chronic pain, difficulty doing basic tasks, and tons of doctor’s appointments can lead to emotional distress and mental health struggles that need your attention. Many personal injury victims struggle with depression, anxiety, Post-traumatic stress disorder, and other psychological side effects.
What is the average compensation payout for psychological injury?
The average financial compensation you can receive after a personal injury for psychological damages depends on the severity of the symptoms. Intense, long-term psychological injuries such as diagnosed PTSD could lead to a higher compensation amount than a general increased level of anxiety. Work with a personal injury law firm in Los Angeles, California to build your case, gather evidence of psychological injuries, and present them in a settlement to earn compensation.
How does an injury affect your life?
Both physical and psychological injuries can impact the rest of your life. Chronic pain, short-term or long-term disability, and mental health repercussions can linger for months or years after the incident, impacting your overall quality of life.
