The Egregious Psychological Effects of Car Accidents
Aside from feeling the physical effects of a car collision, the psychological effects of car accidents are something that pedestrians may be prone to experiencing if a car comes careening their way on the sidewalk.
For example, pedestrians who got accidentally hit by a car may end up having a spine injury. And researchers from the University of Michigan found that those with spinal cord injury and chronic pain experience worse mental health outcomes than an able-bodied individual.
If not a spine injury, pedestrians are also at risk of getting other types of catastrophic injuries as well like a traumatic brain injury. The injury incurred in the brain may alter the mood and behavior of those affected.
Taking care of one’s mental health after a car accident is extremely important, yet it is often undermined. People need to realize that the mind and body are connected. If there is something wrong with either one of them, then it will affect the other. In this blog, we will learn about the emotional effects of getting hit by a car.
There are many emotional consequences of car accidents, but we will be discussing five prominent ones namely, post traumatic stress disorder, sleeping problems, anxiety and depression, increased irritability, and suicidal ideation.
Let’s do a deep dive on each of them:
1. One of the psychological effects of car accidents is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
One of the psychological effects of car accidents that people could experience is post traumatic stress disorder, or simply known by its abbreviation PTSD. This disorder manifests itself after a person experiences a terrifying event.
As pedestrians don’t have the luxury of confining themselves in a metallic enclosure, they are extremely vulnerable to catastrophic injuries during car collisions. In the slim chance that they survive, the mental repercussions could be dire.
It could, for example, hinder them from walking on the sidestreets ever again. Worse, they could develop agoraphobia — an extreme anxiety disorder that stops people from stepping out of spaces they consider to be safe.
2. Sleeping Problems are one of the psychological effects of car accidents
Another mental consequence of pedestrian-car accidents is sleeping problems. Traumatized pedestrians may relive the experience as they’re trying to sleep, which could lead to heavy bouts of insomnia. On the other side of the coin, it may lead them to sleep more in order to cope with the trauma of having experienced a copious amount of pain.
Extremes on the other side may have harmful long term effects. If you’re a pedestrian accident survivor and are experiencing sleeping problems, you will need to consult with a mental health professional and ask for healthy ways to cope with trauma.
3. Depression and Anxiety
Depression and anxiety are also cited to be two of the mental effects of getting hit by a car. Sleeping problems, as mentioned above, are actually telltale signs of depression. Which is why it’s important that if you develop insomnia after a car accident that you consult a mental health professional as it is likely that you also developed depression.
A lot of people who have experienced a close death develop an existential dread that has proven itself to be far too overwhelming. And having a therapist unpack that burden with them may help them wade through their complex feelings.
4. Increased Irritability
If you find yourself being increasingly agitated after almost getting run over by a car, consider the possibility that you may have a much more serious brain injury than you have thought. Symptoms of traumatic brain injury often manifest themselves well after the accident has occurred for many reasons.
Adrenaline may have taken over at the moment, causing you to “feel fine” when the opposite is the case. As soon as you notice a change in your behavior, consult your primary care doctor or go to the emergency room especially if it’s starting to affect the dynamic you have with your loved ones.
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5. Suicidal Ideation
In worst case scenarios, pedestrians with unresolved depression and mental health issues may develop suicidal thoughts as a result of the car accident. This could be the case especially if their mobility is significantly limited as a result or if they develop chronic pain per the study published by disability researchers in the University of Michigan.
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Whether you end up feeling emotionally numb after car accident or paranoid about hitting a pedestrian thereafter, the psychological effects of car accidents are something to be taken seriously. If you are a pedestrian feeling the repercussions of the actions of an irresponsible or distracted driver, seeking justice may significantly improve your mental health.
But you will need to seek the legal counsel of the right pedestrian accidents lawyer. You will need the best.
In particular, you will need the services of a team of experts who are highly-skilled and exercise a high degree of empathy towards their clients. You will need someone who will cater to your unique needs at all times.
A right legal team will also have a track record of success. If they have millions of dollars accrued in settlement on behalf of their clients, that is a good sign that you have come to the right place.
The right law firm will also be recognized and highly-respected by their peers and industry-vetted organizations in the personal injury field. A good indicator of this is their accolades.
Omega Law Group has all these attributes — and more.
Gaining recognition from SuperLawyers.com, along with prestigious features from publications like the Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles Business Journal, the legal team of Omega Law Group is the best team to handle your pedestrian accidents case.
Hailed as one of the “Most Admired Firms” by the Business Journal, the steady ascent of Omega has been attributed to their combined decades of legal experience along with their shrewd negotiation and litigation skills.The best part? They work on a contingency-fee basis, meaning you don’t have to pay for legal fees upfront. Schedule a free legal consultation now to learn more.
