Can PTSD Increase the Value of a Car Accident Claim?
Being injured as a result of another driver’s negligence can leave you with steep medical bills and lost earnings. In addition, you can suffer serious emotional consequences that often go hand in hand with violent car crashes. These psychological effects can amount to PTSD. When this happens, your emotional damages can rival your other losses combined, which can greatly increase the value of your car accident claim. Turn to our experienced Orangeburg, SC, car accident attorney at The Law Office of D. Craig Brown for the help you need today.
Your Pain and Suffering
In your South Carolina car accident claim, you can seek compensation for your pain and suffering, which is the basis of car accident-related PTSD. Most car accident claims in Orangeburg settle out of court, but if you have PTSD, you can expect the involved insurance company to do what it can to minimize the value attached.
Emotional consequences like PTSD are classified as noneconomic damages. Because they are harder to prove, insurance companies can make it difficult to assign a fair value to this type of loss. If the insurance company refuses to settle fairly, your seasoned car accident lawyer will be well prepared to advocate for your rights in court skillfully. Orangeburg cases are generally heard in the Orangeburg County Court of Common Pleas, located in Orangeburg.
The Effects of PTSD Following a Car Accident
Following a terrifying car accident, you can suffer lasting emotional distress that can interfere with your ability to live your life to the fullest. These effects are generally classified as PTSD when they last longer than a month and seriously interfere with your daily life, your relationships, your career, or all three.
Core symptoms of PTSD break down into basic categories like the following:
- Intrusive thoughts that can include frightening accident flashbacks, nightmares, and upsetting memories
- Avoidance, which can translate to staying away from the people, places, and activities that remind you of the car accident and can make it very difficult to get back behind the wheel
- A negative change in your mood or thinking patterns, which can lead to severe mood swings, detachment, hopelessness, and misplaced self-blame
- A spike in anxiety that can be difficult to manage and may require medication
- Consequences that relate to being easily startled and hypervigilant in your daily life
These concerns can disrupt your life more than you may realize, and they can worsen over time.
Our Experienced Orangeburg Car Accident Lawyer Can Help
If another driver leaves you injured and you suffer PTSD as a result, you need skilled legal guidance on your side. Craig Brown is our trusted Orangeburg, SC, car accident attorney at The Law Office of D. Craig Brown, and he will leave no stone unturned in his focused pursuit of the best possible outcome for you. Learn more by contacting us online or calling our firm at 843-676-0169 today.