An Auto Accident Attorney can help a vehicle collision victim obtain financial compensation even if this person was not physically injured. An at-fault driver’s automotive insurer typically is prompt in offering payment for damage to the other person’s car but may not consider emotional trauma worthy of compensation. A lawyer can help present the necessary evidence to show that post-traumatic stress is causing serious problems in the person’s life and that the situation should qualify as an actual injury. Diagnostic imaging is expensive, but medical insurance should pay for it if a medical doctor orders the test. Magnetic resonance imaging can detect abnormalities in the brain that signal a traumatic brain injury that may have gone undetected.
An evaluation by a psychologist or other mental health professional will be required for a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress. This appointment can be arranged by a firm such as the Law Office of Carey Thompson. Statements from people who have regular contact with the accident victim also will help convince the insurer to provide compensation. The individual’s work supervisor and co-workers can testify as to the employee’s changes in personality and decreases in the ability to complete projects as assigned.
An Auto Accident Attorney knows that symptoms of emotional trauma and post-traumatic stress vary by the person. This individual might be experiencing anxiety whenever he or she must drive or ride in a vehicle, for example. Depression may have developed, and panic attacks may occur for seemingly no reason. Irritability, sleep problems, and changes in appetite are other classic hallmarks of psychological trauma. Someone who previously was energetic and self-confident may now be withdrawn and increasingly isolated.
The lawyer will focus on demonstrating the numerous ways a person’s life is significantly different now in negative aspects than was true before the accident. Although insurers used to be more skeptical of post-traumatic stress resulting from a vehicle collision, research has verified that this is a relatively common occurrence. In fact, this type of emotional trauma appears to occur more because of vehicle accidents than any other cause.
