It’s not hard to discover whether you have hit your head or broken your leg in a Morristown car wreck. However, there are serious internal injuries that can result from a serious accident—and they may not be cured by a lengthy hospital stay.
Post-traumatic stress disorder can be caused by any traumatic event, including car accidents. In fact, car accidents are the most common cause of civilian cases of PTSD, and accidents that involved serious injury or death of a loved one are even more likely to cause emotional effects. In most cases, victims are unaware they are suffering from the condition, leaving them terrified, confused, angry, and unable to cope with life following the crash.
Here are a few symptoms used to diagnose a case of car accident PTSD in New Jersey:
- Flashbacks. The most frequent indicator of PTSD in car accident victims is being haunted by the event. This can include daydreams, hallucinations, nightmares, or sudden and intrusive memories that cannot be stopped.
- Intense reactions. Victims often have difficulty sleeping, and are also constantly in a hyperactive state. They may startle easily, be constantly irritable, have difficulty concentrating, or have sudden outbursts of anger. These reactions may be worsened by exposure to “triggers” of the event, such as car horns or loud explosions on television.
- Avoidance. The victim’s brain will try to suppress memories of the event in order to forget the trauma. Part of this involves an instinctual avoidance of anything associated with the event, such as riding in cars, staying indoors at the time of day when the crash took place, avoiding people who were there when it happened, or even discussing the accident. Some victims may have repressed the accident so well that they are unable to recall major details of what happened.
- Detachment. Friends often notice that a victim is harder to reach and has lost interest in social gatherings or crowded events. The victim may seem depressed, make comments indicating he won’t live long or will never be happy, and even turn to drinking or drug use to mask his distress.
If this sounds familiar, you don’t have to suffer in silence any longer. The legal team at Manfred F. Ricciardelli, Jr. can help you get treatment for your emotional injuries and compensation for your lost time from work. Call us today at (877) 360-0183, or click the link on this page to begin your FREE consultation. The call is free, and you owe us nothing unless we win your case.