Personal Injury Lawsuits Involving Psychological or Emotional Suffering

 Posted on April 09, 2020 in Personal Injury Lawsuits

A serious slip and fall accident, car crash, assault, or other frightening incident can leave emotional scars that last years if not a lifetime. Trauma can have profound short-term and long-term effects on a person’s mind and body. Events that are particularly shocking or disturbing are hard for our brains to process and understand so the negative emotions of the traumatic event can linger long after the actual danger has passed.

Many people who have been through a traumatic event develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other psychological conditions. These mental health conditions can make it hard if not impossible to work and live a normal life. In some cases, a personal injury lawsuit may allow a person suffering from the effects of trauma to receive financial compensation for their mental injuries.

When is a Personal Injury Lawsuit Possible?

A personal injury claim is a civil action used to pursue compensation when an individual has been harmed by the negligent or wrongful actions of another party. The other party may be a person, or it may be an entity such as an organization or business. Negligence is typically defined as the failure to exercise the level of care that a reasonably cautious person would exercise in a similar situation.

For example, a property owner or property manager may be considered negligent if he or she allowed an unsafe condition to exist on his or her property that caused another person harm. If a parking is not well lit and several assaults and robberies have already taken place in the dark parking lot, the person or company that owns the parking lot has a legal duty to correct the unsafe condition by installing lights or implementing other appropriate security measures. If the owner or manager of the parking lot does not take action to improve the safety of the parking lot, he or she may be liable for any injuries that occur due to the unsafe condition – including mental injuries.

Proving the Extent of Psychological Harm

If someone is a car accident and suffers a shattered pelvis, proving that he or she is injured is as simple as an x-ray. Unfortunately, mental injuries are not as obvious to others as physical injuries. Typically, in order for a person to receive compensation for mental injuries or psychological harm after an accident caused by another’s negligence, a medical professional will need to verify the extent of the psychological harm caused. Symptoms such as flashbacks, hypervigilance, severe fear, anxiety, and insomnia may lead to a diagnosis of PTSD, panic disorder, anxiety disorder, or another mental health condition. These conditions can be so debilitating that a person is not able to work or carry out everyday tasks. Treatment for these types of conditions can also be extremely expensive. Fortunately, personal injury claims allow some sufferers to receive the compensation they desperately need.

Contact a Waukegan Mental Injuries Lawyer

If you have suffered severe emotional harm after being involved in a car accident, workplace accident, assault, or other traumatic incident, contact the law offices of Salvi & Maher, L.L.C to learn about your options for compensation. Schedule a confidential, free consultation with a knowledgeable Lake County personal injury attorney from our firm by calling us at 847-662-3303 today.

Source:

https://psychcentral.com/lib/understanding-the-effects-of-trauma-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/