A car accident is a scary experience. Some may walk away from one unscathed, while others face lasting consequences physically, emotionally, and financially. Don’t second guess yourself if you feel like you’re having a hard time shaking what happened to you.
If you are showing symptoms following the event, it is plausible that you have PTSD from a car accident.
You may greatly benefit from contacting an experienced Los Angeles car accident lawyer who can discuss your situation and help you determine the best course of action for your case.
Car Accidents in California
California is one of the largest and most populated states in the country. The sheer volume of residents and tourist locations means car accidents are imminent. According to California Traffic Safety Quick Stats, car accidents caused over 4,000 fatalities in the most recent reporting year.
Los Angeles County is no stranger to car accidents that cause severe or fatal injuries. In the most recent reporting year, the California Office of Traffic Safety(OTS) reports more than 59,000 accidents causing severe and fatal injuries in the county alone. Of those who experienced the accidents, the bystanders who witnessed these injuries are many more.
In the above OTS rankings, speeding was the most common type of crash category, with involvement in nearly 13,000 of the accidents. Of these, 7,500 of the accidents took place at night between 9 pm and 2:59 am. While DUI arrests are not reported on this chart, it does show that fewer than 7,000 of the accidents included alcohol.
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Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Car Accidents
Based on the numbers above, it’s not unreasonable that people involved or injured in car accidents might have a genuine and present fear for their safety and even their lives. This fear meets the first criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder.
The first of six criteria for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder includes exposure to a traumatic event where both of the below are true:
- The person was confronted with or experienced an event that threatened actual death or serious bodily injury, including a threat to the safety of themselves or others
- The response to this event involves intense fear, helplessness, or horror
When we consider the circumstances of a car accident, both criteria may be easily met. Just the sudden jolt of impact and the sound of cars colliding can be enough to startle and scare you. Beyond that, a feeling of being trapped in the vehicle or injured but unsure of how badly or where can lead to fear, horror, and helplessness.
PTSD After a Car Accident
When we have the understanding that a car accident can be a reasonably triggering event for PTSD, to qualify for a diagnosis, you must meet criteria beyond simply experiencing a triggering event.
Some people may feel out of sorts for several days or weeks before returning to their baseline, but others who may have PTSD might experience additional symptoms.
You Persistently Reexperience the Traumatic Event
This can happen in one or several ways. The DSM IV-TR explains that these can be intrusive thoughts of the experience or recurrent dreams of the accident. You may experience flashbacks where you feel as if you are re-experiencing the event or significant distress at internal or external stimuli that remind you of the accident.
You Persistently Avoid Reminders of the Accident
This could be exhibited by going far out of your way to avoid the intersection the accident occurred in, experiencing significant distress, or completely refusing to travel in a car. This may also include fragmented or poor memory of the event.
Additional traits in this criteria may also include feeling numb or detached in ways you did not prior to the accident.
You Feel Persistently on Edge
This is clinically known as hyperarousal, and it may look like someone who has difficulty falling asleep, is agitated, or is distracted. If you are surprised, you may experience an increased startle response, feel hypervigilant, and be more likely to have angry outbursts.
Duration of Symptoms
A key component for distinguishing more ‘normal’ symptoms following a traumatic event, and those that may be indicative of PTSD, is whether your symptoms persist for longer than one month. For example, you may experience these symptoms for a few days or even a couple of weeks.
However, if you can return to your baseline within a month, your symptoms would indicate that you experienced trauma but perhaps did not get PTSD from the car accident.
Disruption
The last consideration for whether you have PTSD from a car accident is simply how disruptive the symptoms are. PTSD is incredibly disruptive to your life.
It affects the way you function in every aspect, whether it be stress and anxiety that affects your work and personal relationships or avoiding areas and tasks that used to be part of your daily life.
Ultimately, if you are experiencing any of these symptoms following a car accident, you will benefit most from speaking with a mental health professional immediately. Further, your experience is valid regardless of whether you meet specific criteria for a specific diagnosis.
Speaking with a professional can be beneficial whenever you experience something out of the ordinary following a car accident, whether physical or emotional.
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Call a Los Angeles Car Accident Lawyer Today
If a car accident has injured you and you feel you are experiencing symptoms of PTSD, the first step is to seek an evaluation by a mental health professional.
Following that, you can learn more about the Ryan Law Group and contact us for a free case consultation. Contacting a personal injury attorney may feel like an overreaction, but it simply levels the playing field with the insurance company.
Recovering from physical injuries is difficult, but mental health injuries like PTSD are, by definition, utterly disruptive to your life as well. Take a moment to review our testimonials and case results to see our track record for yourself. You should not have to carry the burden of someone else’s negligence alone.
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