Can Car Accidents Lead to PTSD?

Key Takeaways

• Car accidents can trigger post-traumatic stress disorder after a traumatic event.
• Motor vehicle accidents are identified as the leading cause of PTSD diagnosis.
• PTSD symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, and trouble sleeping.
• PTSD treatment generally involves therapy, medication, or both.
• PTSD after a car accident may be included in a personal injury claim.

Your healthcare professional explained how your body was damaged in your vehicle accident and the steps you should take to heal it. However, there’s no x-ray or scan that can explain what’s been going on in your head.
When you get in a vehicle, you experience sudden flashbacks that cause your heart to pound and your thoughts to race. They’re so unpleasant sometimes you avoid getting in a vehicle. You have nightmares where your accident recurs again and again. Your sleep problems and stress-filled mind are making you irritable. If that’s the case, your car accident might have caused PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

PTSD From a Car Crash
A lot of people think only Veterans get PTSD. While trauma and/or injury experienced serving our country can certainly lead to the disorder, that’s not the only cause.
PTSD is triggered by a traumatic event. The American Psychiatric Association says that event could be a natural disaster, violent attack, a terrorist assault or a car accident. It could be something that happened to you or something you heard about. An estimated one in 11 Americans will be diagnosed with PTSD in their lifetimes. Motor-vehicle accidents are the leading cause of PTSD diagnosis.

PTSD Symptoms Following a Car Accident
So how do you know if you’re experiencing PTSD after your car accident? It’s normal to be stressed if you’ve been in a wreck, especially if you became injured. It’s also completely understandable to be more nervous about driving, since that’s what got you involved in a car wreck in the first place. But if you have PTSD, you won’t gradually settle back into the thought patterns and habits you held before your accident. You may experience symptoms like these:
⦁    Strong feelings of stress and anxiety when you think about your car accident
⦁    Powerful physical reactions like shaking, sweating, nausea or a racing pulse when you experience those thoughts
⦁    Flashbacks where you feel like you’re living your car wreck all over again
⦁    Bad dreams about your vehicle accident
⦁    A loss of interest in doing things you used to enjoy
⦁    Fear your future won’t be positive
⦁    Feelings of emotional detachment from friends and family members
⦁    Trouble remembering some of what happened during your accident
⦁    Mood swings as you blame yourself or others for the accident
⦁    Trouble sleeping

Treating PTSD
The brain is complex, and no one treatment works for everyone. PTSD can make you feel like you’ll never get your life back, but the good news is, therapy can help improve your symptoms, teach you how to manage your stress and restore the healthy perspective you feel like you’ve lost. Generally, treating PTSD involves therapy, medication or both.

PTSD and Personal Injury Lawsuits
If you started experiencing some or all of the above symptoms after your car wreck, our personal injury attorneys can help. You deserve compensation for what you’re going through and help paying whatever it takes for you to heal. Talk with an attorney, ask your questions and find out what steps you can take when you schedule a free, no-obligation consultation today.