While physical injuries are the primary effects of a car accident, they are not the only ones a car accident survivor faces.

Besides economic damages in a car accident, a survivor may also face non-economic damages, with the most common being emotional loss. In most scenarios, these non-economic damages are referred to as special damages.

Getting financial compensation for this form of damages is not a straightforward process. You will need a personal injury attorney to prove such damages.

Non-Economic Damages Associated with Car Accidents

After a car accident, you can experience various special damages. Some of these non-economic damages include:

  • Post-traumatic-stress-disorder (PTSD)
  • Stress
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Grief

1. PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the major non-economic damages a car accident survivor may experience. This mental issue has the same symptoms as those of an acute stress reaction, but the symptoms may worsen with time.

According to the Journal of Clinical Medicine, PTSD affects 32.3% of car accident survivors. The journal further states that traumatic brain injury victims are more likely to develop PTSD.

2. Stress

Stress is a response to traumatic accidents that results from flashbacks, nightmares, and insomnia experienced after the accident. In most cases, post-accident stress is characterized by increased anxiety, mood swings, and dissociative symptoms. Experiencing this form of stress is common for accident victims.

However, victims with persistent acute stress should seek medical assistance. Additionally, acute stress beyond a month can be classified as PTSD.

3. Anxiety

Victims of a car accident are prone to developing anxiety. This mental-health issue is usually sustained almost immediately after the car accident. Anxiety may cause fear of driving or feelings of insecurity when riding in a car or when driving. While it goes away with time, it may develop into a chronic condition in some individuals, forcing them to seek professional care.

4. Depression

According to statistics, approximately 17.4% of non-fatal car accident victims experience depression at some point in their lives. Normally, depression after a car accident might occur alone or alongside PTSD. While it is a natural response to car accidents, depression interferes with the victim's social life and should thus be addressed early enough. A victim who shows signs of depression should avoid solitude, as they may develop suicidal thoughts.

5. Grief

Grief is felt when someone experiences the loss of a loved one, loss of health, or even loss of independence due to involvement in an accident. In simple terms, grief is a yearning for things to return as they were before the accident and difficulty accepting the permanent change after the accident.

Whether experienced due to the loss of a loved one or personal injuries sustained, grief poses a great risk to the victim as they can develop other psychological issues such as stress and depression.

How to Cope with Emotional Losses After a Car Accident

Coping with emotional losses resulting from a car accident requires special care. The following tips will help you in your recovery process:

  • You need to acknowledge the impact of the accident on your mental health and take the necessary action.
  • Seek cognitive therapeutic care for conditions such as anxiety, stress, depression, and PTSD.
  • Take the medication necessary for issues that can be alleviated using medicine.
  • Join a local support group, as it can help you resume normalcy and improve your overall well-being.
  • For extreme trauma, seek support from psychologists and psychiatrists.

Importance of Treatment for Emotional Losses

Emotional losses may not appear immediately after a car accident. This makes it vital for you to seek proper medical care in addition to getting an attorney to help you claim proper compensation.

Post-accident care such as cognitive behavioral therapy, cognitive processing therapy, and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR) will help you heal fully from most of the accident-related emotional conditions.