After the accident, your recovery usually starts after the crash is investigated and you have sought medical care.
But the effects of the accident can linger for months or even years. That’s why you should talk to the best auto accident lawyer about compensation for your injuries if another driver hit you or caused the crash.

Emotional Aspects: People may expect some physical pain and symptoms in a crash, but the emotional aspect might be surprising. It can take time for the mental or emotional effects to hit you but it’s common.

Mental and emotional trauma from a serious car accident can include anguish, anxiety, depression, shock, loss of appetite, and mood swings. Let’s take a closer look at some of these.

Anxiety: Anxiety can creep up on you suddenly months after the accident. For example, let’s say you were t-boned at an intersection by a man running a red light. The severe impact gave you a serious concussion and broken bones. You needed two months of physical therapy to recover.

While your physical injuries have healed, you may experience anxiety when you get behind the wheel again. Some people experience panic attacks in this situation when they face routine driving situations again.
Sometimes the anxiety can be so bad that they can’t drive anymore. Others may have trouble enjoying other activities because of the anxiety the accident trauma caused.

Depression: The serious nature of car accident injuries can leave a person unable to enjoy their hobbies or even care for themselves. A loss of independence and enjoyment of life often leads to depression.
If you have trouble enjoying things you once did or have trouble sleeping, you may have depression. Fortunately, drug and psychological therapy can help you overcome this problem.

Plus, your car accident attorney can include your depression and anxiety in his pain and suffering calculation for your settlement.

PTSD: Many people who live through traumatic events may have PTSD. Military members often have PTSD but it can happen from car accidents, too.

If you have PTSD, you may have regular panic attacks, which can make it difficult to live a normal life. Sleeping can become impossible. Make sure you tell your doctor right away if you think you have PTSD from the accident.

Behavior Changes: Everyone deals with trauma differently, but some car accident victims have behavior changes that are a concern. For example, your mental trauma can make you more irritable and difficult to live with.

Or, you may find that you no longer want to participate in activities you once enjoyed. Behavior changes are another major factor to consider as part of your settlement.

Studies show that about 1/3 of people who were in a major car crash may have some of the above mental trauma. These effects can take as long as a year to show up.

This is serious trauma and the best auto accident lawyer will take this into account when determining how much pain and suffering you endured.

Physical Aspects: People in serious car accidents can have long-term physical injuries that change their life for the worse. You could have head trauma, broken bones, back injuries, internal injuries, physical disfigurement, and more.

Some people have permanent injuries that change their lives forever, such as paralysis or amputations. Others may have a traumatic brain injury that affects their ability to function.

The possibly severe extent of your physical injuries is why your attorney will take a close look at your future pain and suffering to get you as much settlement money as possible.

The many consequences of a car accident can have severe mental and physical effects on your life. When you talk to the best auto accident lawyer about your case, talk about how the accident has affected your life.
Any way that the accident has changed your life for the worse is something to be considered during settlement negotiations. You can help by keeping a journal detailing the aspects of your life you are struggling with after the accident.