Mental and emotional injuries resulting from a car accident may remain even after you have recovered from your physical injuries.
A car accident may cause severe physical, mental, and emotional injury to the victim. The emotional and mental injuries can persist long after the physical injuries have healed. To receive compensation for mental and emotional injuries caused by another’s negligence, a victim may need the guidance of a St. Louis car accident attorney.
What Are Mental and Emotional Injuries?
In personal injury litigation, mental and emotional injuries are referred to as “pain and suffering”. Such injuries can range from being minor to severe. Minor mental and emotional injuries may cause distress, anguish, humiliation, fear, anger, embarrassment, and shock. Victims can experience loss of appetite, sexual dysfunction, mood swings, and other problems. Severe mental and emotional injuries may include acute stress disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Mental and emotional injuries may require medical and psychological treatment.
How to Prove Mental and Emotional Injuries
The victim’s testimony may be enough to prove mild mental and emotional injuries. However, more serious injuries may require expert medical testimony. If the victim is claiming to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, a doctor may be needed to testify on behalf of the victim.
How Juries May Perceive Mental and Emotional Injuries
Juries and insurance companies may accept claims for pain and suffering as long as they are in proportion to the severity of the accident and the physical injury. For example, someone cannot claim to have suffered extreme mental anguish for a minor ankle sprain. The jury may normally assume that some amount of pain and suffering naturally accompanies physical injuries. If the victim fails to seek medical attention for mental or emotional injuries, the chances of receiving compensation for pain and suffering may be jeopardized.
Receiving Compensation for Mental and Emotional Injuries
Claims for minor problems such as emotional distress or mental anguish do nothing more than telling the jury that the victim has been through the pain because of the accident. However, more serious injuries may lead to an increase in the total amount of compensation that the victim receives as a result of the accident. The victim may be entitled to higher medical expenses and wage loss benefits.
If you have suffered physical, mental, and emotional injuries as a result of a car accident, contact The Hoffmann Law Firm, L.L.C. at (314) 361-4242 for a free consultation.