A car accident can be a life-changing event. Any time thousands of pounds of steel collide with a risk of injury or death, trauma is sure to follow. While injuries like whiplash, broken bones, and concussions are expected outcomes of a motor vehicle accident, there is an increasing appreciation in the medical community that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injuries (TBI) can result from motor vehicle accidents. If you or a loved one were involved in a severe car, bicycle, or motorcycle accident that you believe caused PTSD or a TBI, contact Dennis Carrion, Esq. of The Carrion Law Firm for a free case review. Our NYC car accident lawyers discuss these injuries and if you can sue for them after a crash in New York.
PTSD and Car Accidents
PTSD is an anxiety disorder caused by exposure to major traumatic events. It is a real condition recognized by the American Psychological Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSMR).
Bicycle, motorcycle, and car crashes can all cause PTSD. What do these situations have in common? They were defined by the risk of death or serious bodily injury. According to our the Bronx fatal bicycle accident lawyer, people with PTSD cannot just “move on” after a car accident. They may relive the traumatic event through intrusive thoughts, nightmares, and a refusal to get into vehicles or drive. Some people who have PTSD will also become “numb” to the world and the people they love or exhibit increased irritability, anxiety, and disrupted sleep. Troublingly, one of the most common symptoms of motor vehicle crash-related, is chronic pain. Nearly 70% of accident survivors diagnosed with PTSD reported chronic pain.
Psychological studies of PTSD’s links to car accidents suggest that between 25% and 33% of people involved in terrible bus accidents, motorcycle accidents or truck accidents will have PTSD for at least 30 days after the incident. If you are experiencing PTSD after an accident, rest assured that this is normal and know that there is nothing to be ashamed of by seeking out help. Talk with our MTA bus accident attorney in NYC for more information.
As an experienced Brooklyn car accident attorney, Dennis Carrion recognizes that one of the biggest fears of car and bicycle accident survivors is reliving their trauma repeatedly as part of the litigation process. This fear is real and valid. Dennis Carrion will work with you to explain the process, the next steps, and empower you to make the best choices for you and your family during some of your life’s toughest moments. Contact our NYC fatal bicycle accident lawyer today for more information.
Can I Sue for PTSD from a Car Accident in New York?
The law recognizes that not all injuries are physically apparent. A skilled car accident attorney in Long Island will help you build a team of experts to explain to a judge and jury how severely your car accident-induced PTSD impacts your daily life. Your legal team can demonstrate how another driver’s negligence caused your accident and damaged your property and created real and profound emotional harm to you or your loved ones. Talk to our Boca Raton Uber and Lyft accident lawyer for more information.
Your legal team will demonstrate that you were correctly diagnosed with PTSD and will prove a “nexus” or connection between the PTSD and an accident caused by negligence. They will show exactly how your diagnosis impacts your mental health, financial future, and daily life.
Were you involved in an Uber accident or Lyft crash that resulted in PTSD? Are you questioning whether there are other injuries related to your Long Island or New York City car accident? Not sure where to start? Contact Dennis Carrion to talk with our Long Island Uber and Lyft accident attorney at (718) 841-0083.
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) and Car Accidents
Auto accidents are one of the leading causes of Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs). Recent studies found that TBIs were present in 30% of all injury-related deaths in the United States. The effects of TBIs can last anywhere from a few moments to an entire lifetime and manifest in strange and unexpected ways. Major changes to personality, loss of sensations like taste or vision, headaches, and memory loss are all common symptoms of crash-induced TBIs.
What makes TBIs and other closed head injuries so common in bike accidents and car crashes? A shock causes this injury to the skull that changes the standard functionality of the brain. Concussions are an example of TBIs. The extreme forces involved in a motor vehicle accident often force a driver’s head into windows, airbags, or steering wheels. Any of these traumas can create enough concussive forces to result in a TBI, which is precisely why the number 2 leading cause of TBI related hospitalizations is car accidents.
A concerning fact about TBIs is that symptoms do not always present themselves immediately after the accident. Seeking out medical care any time you suspect a head injury is critical to ensure your health. Whether you are concerned that you suffered whiplash, a concussion, or a diffuse axonal injury during a car or motorcycle wreck, the difference made by timely care can be one of life and death.
Prompt diagnosis will also help your Staten Island car accident lawyer and their legal team demonstrate that another driver’s negligence caused your symptoms.
Suing for a TBI after a Car Accident in New York
If you are suffering from a TBI caused by someone else’s negligence, you can expect compensation for the pain and difficulties your injury caused. New York law recognizes that TBI and PTSD victims are entitled to “non-economic compensatory damages.” These damages do not always have a clearly defined value and depend on your case’s merits and the skill of your Queens car accident attorney to convince a jury and insurance company that your injury is as serious as it is.
Victims of motor vehicle accident TBIs can often recover for lost wages, medical bills, the costs of ongoing care services, and other losses in addition to any other remedies they may have for negligence. Punitive damages might be assessed against the other driver if the accident was caused to reckless driving, a DUI, or other outrageous conduct. These damages will not cause undue the physical and psychological harm of an accident, but they will give you enough resources to start the healing process.
Contact Our NYC Car Accident Lawyers Today
There is no typical TBI settlement or TBI judgment in New York because TBIs vary in severity and duration. Courts look at factors like long term medical bills, the impact the TBI had on your earning potential, the severity of your symptoms, and the degree of recklessness or negligence of the responsible driver in assessing damages. Do you have questions about your right to compensation for a crash induced TBI? You need an experienced Bronx car accident lawyer. Call Dennis Carrion, Esq. of Carrion Accident & Injury Attorneys at (718) 841-0083 or 954-433-3100, for a free case review.