What Are Psychological Injuries in Personal Injury Law?
Accidents result in different types of personal injuries, both physical and psychological. Victims deserve to receive compensation for both the physical and psychological injuries they sustain due to other people’s negligence. Nonetheless, you must note that proving a psychological injury can be more challenging than proving a physical injury. Therefore, if you sustained a psychological injury due to someone else’s negligence, work with a qualified personal injury attorney who can help you prove your injury and obtain the compensation you deserve.
Defining the Term “Psychological Injury”
A psychological injury in personal injury law is a non-physical injury sustained due to someone else’s negligence. Please note that you can’t claim to have suffered a psychological injury just because an accident or an event scared you. For an injury to qualify as a psychological injury in personal injury law, the injury must be persistent and must have occurred due to another party’s negligence. Generally, a psychological injury in personal injury law relates to you developing a severe mental health problem after an accident caused by someone else’s negligence.
You can suffer a psychological injury in many ways, with motor vehicle accidents being notorious for causing psychological injuries. So, if you were involved in a car accident and are currently experiencing emotional stresses regularly, you could be suffering from a psychological injury. Workplace accidents can also cause psychological injuries.
Additionally, it is vital to remember that you can sustain a psychological injury in an accident without sustaining a physical injury.
Examples of Psychological Injuries
People suffer different types of psychological injuries after accidents. Below are some of the common types of psychological injuries.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): This type of psychological injury is quite common. A person who has PTSD will mainly experience nightmares or uncontrollable anxiety.
- Depression: This type of psychological injury affects a person’s mood. For instance, if you start experiencing uncontrollable feelings of sadness after an accident, you might be suffering from depression. It is a condition that can adversely affect your daily life.
- Other anxiety disorders
Symptoms of Psychological Injuries
Usually, after an accident, almost every victim feels scared and sad. Such feelings often disappear after some time. However, if, after an accident, you sustain a psychological injury, these feelings and/or others will resurface and keep getting worse.
Below are some of the symptoms of psychological injuries. Keep in mind that symptoms vary, depending on the type of injury.
- Sleeping difficulties
- Disturbed sleep
- Mood swings
- Confusion
- Memory loss
- Social isolation
- Irritability and constant tearfulness
Suppose you suffer a psychological injury after an accident. In that case, the injury can affect your ability to perform even those simple tasks you used to perform with a lot of ease before the accident.
Legal Help Is Available
A psychological injury can have devastating effects on your life. Therefore, if someone else’s negligence caused your psychological injury, you should work with an experienced personal injury attorney to get the compensation you deserve and make the at-fault party take responsibility for their negligence. Our Fort Myers personal injury attorneys at the Pendas Law Firm understand the adverse effects psychological injuries can have on people’s lives. We work dedicatedly with our clients to ensure they get the compensation they deserve and negligent parties take responsibility for their negligence. Contact us today to receive the legal help you deserve.
The Pendas Law Firm also represents clients in the Ocala, Orlando, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Bradenton, Daytona Beach, Miami, Jacksonville, and West Palm Beach areas.
