Personal Injury Cases and the Impact on Your Mental Health
Personal injury claims are generally based on the negligence, carelessness, or reckless acts of another party that have resulted in an individual being physically injured in some way. Accidents such as slips and falls, road traffic collisions, and medical errors are some common examples of personal injury cases. However, while the physical impact of these accidents ae usually the main focus of these cases, since they can often be devastating and painful, it’s important to consider the impact of the accident on the victim’s mental health and wellbeing. In a personal injury case, the impact on the emotional and mental health of the victim may be taken into consideration when filing for damages.
How Physical and Mental Health are Connected:
Your Allentown personal injury lawyer will understand that there is a connection between your physical and mental health, and how the injury that you have suffered can have an impact on your emotional wellbeing. Common injuries that are the cause because a personal injury case include neck and spinal injuries, sprains, broken bones, lacerations and concussions, all of which can impact your mental health not only due to being in physical pain but also because the injury might prevent you from working or spending time doing things that you enjoy.
Proving Mental Injuries in a Personal Injury Case:
Since they are not as easy to verify using objective evidence compared to physical injuries, it might be harder to prove damages to your mental and emotional health as a result of the situation. Many personal injury victims do not get help or treatment for their mental health as quickly as they get attention for their physical health after the accident, which can also contribute to difficulties determining whether or not the mental ill health is a direct result. Just like it’s important to seek immediate attention for any physical injuries, it may help your case if you get mental health support as quickly as possible afterwards.
Calling an Expert Witness:
An expert witness might be sometimes necessary to support your case and prove the mental impact that the injury has had on you. An expert such as a psychiatrist can be called on to assess you and your situation and compile a report to present to the court documenting the impact that it has had on your mental and emotional wellbeing.
Keeping a Journal:
Finally, keeping a journal might be an ideal way to gather more evidence on the impact that the injury has had on your mental and emotional health and wellbeing. Many personal injury lawyers and experts recommend keeping a pain journal to document the impact that the accident has had on your health and life. Documenting the mental health impact of the situation on you can make it easier to get the damages you deserve paid to you in a settlement.
Personal injury cases don’t just affect you physically. After being injured through no fault of your own, you may also be able to claim for emotional damages.