There are losses that are easy to quantify such as medical bills and lost wages. Others are much more difficult to convert into a dollar amount such as mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, and pain and suffering.
Post-traumatic stress disorder can happen in people who have either experienced or witnessed a traumatic event. What is defined as a traumatic event can range from a natural disaster such as an earthquake or a flood to a serious accident such as a car crash, an act of terrorism, being raped, suffering any type of personal assault, and being in a war or combat situation, among others. PTSD, as it is also known, does not discriminate based on age, gender, race, nationality, or culture.
What happens to people with PTSD?
In most cases, people suffering from PTSD can have disturbing feelings and thoughts related to the incident that provoked it. And these feelings and thoughts can last for a long time after the event has happened. The feelings that surround PTSD can involve fear, sadness, anger, frustration, or many others, and the events can be relived through nightmares or flashbacks. Situations or events that remind them of what happened tend to be avoided and ordinary events such as a loud noise can trigger strong negative reactions.
PTSD can also happen indirectly to someone who has not lived the event but found out about it. An example is the violent death of a loved one. Police officers, exposed to details of violent crimes or child abuse cases, may end up with PTSD as well.
Have you been diagnosed with PTSD?
The first step after your diagnosis is to take care of yourself by visiting your doctor. They will prescribe the medication needed to treat your symptoms, such as depression or anxiety if this is what you are experiencing. You will also be referred to receive psychological treatment to further treat your PTSD.
How does PTSD impact people’s lives?
PTSD, just like many other psychological injuries has an enormous impact on an individual’s life. It affects family life, participation in social and recreational activities, the ability to perform the job done before the injury, and all aspects of daily living. The results are many, including losing family relationships, jobs, and the ability to earn a living.
Your PTSD Compensation Claim
In order to be able to proceed legally, you need to be properly diagnosed with PTSD since just feeling sad, stressed, or anxious is not enough to initiate a claim.
Whether you were involved in a car accident, suffered an injury at work, or experienced another traumatic event, no matter how large or small, you have the potential of experiencing PTSD. When presenting a claim, other indicators will also be considered, such as:
- Whether there were any fatalities involved
- How severe your injuries were
- How long it took for you to recover from the injuries
- If this is your first experience of a traumatic event or if you have a history
What damages can you recover?
There are losses that are easy to quantify such as medical bills and lost wages. Others are much more difficult to convert into a dollar amount such as mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, and pain and suffering.
Your lawyer will also have to help you establish your proper diagnosis, the connection between the diagnosis and the event, and the prognosis for your condition.
Lawyer Philip Pendergrass is ready to help you establish your PTSD claim and fight to get you the damages you deserve. Set an appointment with him today to get started.
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