Understanding The Long-Term Health Consequences Of Car Accidents

Nobody truly knows the full repercussions of a car accident. While some people walk away unscathed by such events, others may have long-term health issues.

By definition, car accidents are traumatic events, and even mild ones can stay with you. Here are some long-term consequences of vehicle collisions, and what they mean for your health and wellbeing.

The Injuries You See

More severe car accident injuries can have long-term effects on your entire life. A common example here is a brain injury, which could even leave you disabled, affecting your financial security and lowering your quality of life.

Such long-term or permanent physical injuries are usually categorized as disabilities, and people who go through these can require additional assistance to live a normal life. In these cases, if you need to recover damages, you are not just looking at the medical bills you have gathered until you negotiate a settlement, but also the entire cost these injuries impose for the rest of your life.

The Invisible Toll of a Car Accident

Physical injuries have the advantage that they can be seen, sometimes even with the naked eye. But when it comes to the emotional effects of a car accident, unfortunately, many victims can be slower to see the signs and get the help they need.

But make no mistake: the psychological effects of a car accident can be just as crippling and disruptive to your personal life and physical disabilities. Some mental health issues you may experience include:

• PTSD
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Sleep disorders
• Compulsive behaviors, etc.

In some cases, proper mental health treatment can help the victim overcome their mental health problem, but not all victims are as fortunate. Some have to live with this burden for the rest of their life, requiring constant therapy and even medication just to help them cope with these disorders.

As a result, mental health effects resulting from a car accident can have the same disabling effects as physical injuries, making you lose your job and your financial security.

You can recover damages from mental health issues as well, on top of the other damages the car accident may have created. However, these types of injuries can pose a bit more problems in the negotiations process, as you’ll need to show the condition itself has resulted from the accident. Mental health is complex, and a disorder can be caused by a variety of different causes, which may give the insurance company a bit more leverage to push back on your claim.

Why Speak With a Car Accident Lawyer?

If you’re looking at the unfortunate situation of dealing with the long-term effects of a car accident, physical or emotional, you deserve to be compensated for all your pain and suffering. Speak with a St. Louis car accident lawyer for additional help in filing a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company.