Yes, you can get PTSD from a car accident. People who experience motor vehicle accidents are at a higher risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Despite widespread perception, PTSD does not only affect war veterans. In fact, a past study says traffic accidents have been the leading cause of PTSD in the United States since the Vietnam War. Understanding the disorder is key to helping people with it cope and heal.
What Is PTSD?
Post-traumatic stress disorder is an anxiety disorder that typically affects people who experience a traumatic event. This event can involve death, the threat of death, serious injury, or a threat to the safety of oneself or others. Recurring experiences or single-incident traumatic events, such as a car crash or a gunshot, can trigger the mental health disorder.
What Are the Symptoms of PTSD?
A mental health professional can diagnose post-traumatic stress disorder after reviewing a person’s symptoms and when the person experiences those symptoms. PTSD symptoms specific to car accidents include the following:
Reliving the Car Accident
People with PTSD often relive the event in their heads. This psychological re-experiencing can take different forms such as:
- Recurrent intrusive thoughts about the accident
- Distressing dreams of the event
- Feeling or acting as if the accident was recurring
- Reliving the accident through illusions, hallucinations, or flashbacks
- Psychological distress when exposed to things that remind you of the accident (e.g., fear, worry, etc.)
- A physical reaction to things reminders of the event (e.g., elevated body temperature, sweating, headache, etc.)
Avoiding Accident-Related Thoughts and Situations
Often people with PTSD try to avoid anything associated with their traumatic event. For people injured in car accidents, this usually means a reluctance or refusal to drive. They may also avoid:
- Thoughts, feelings, and conversations about their car accident
- People, places, and activities that cause them to recall the incident
Numbness
PTSD victims may also experience a sense of feeling emotionally or mentally numb to things they otherwise would respond to. Numbing can manifest as:
- The inability to remember important details of an accident
- Reduced interest or participation in activities
- Feeling detached from others
- Reduced or absence of emotions
- Feeling like you no longer have a future
Increased Arousal
Arousal due to post-traumatic stress disorder is when you are physically on high alert. This could mean:
- Trouble falling or staying asleep
- Irritability
- Difficulty focusing
- Exaggerated startle
How Long Does PTSD Last?
To be classified as PTSD, your symptoms must last for more than a month. Signs of PTSD usually begin within three months, but it’s also possible they may not begin until years after your accident. The duration of the disorder depends on the person. Some people recover in six months. For others, it can last several years or the rest of your life. Studies show that chances of recovery improve the sooner you receive treatment.
Coping with PTSD After Your Car Accident
Researchers from around the world are studying PTSD treatments. While avoidance of driving and shutting yourself off may seem like the safe way to cope, these behaviors are more harmful than good. Many victims of motor vehicle accidents do not seek help for years, which makes it harder to treat. However, evidence shows that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment.
This form of psychological treatment focuses on helping you change your thinking patterns and unhelpful behaviors. It also teaches you better ways to cope with the aftermath of your car accident or another traumatic event. Treatment includes educating patients about the disorder, relaxation training, learning to recognize distorted thinking, and gaining confidence in your abilities.
Psychotherapy Can Help PTSD Victims
Psychotherapy (talk therapy) is also helpful in treating PTSD. Motor vehicle accident victims might discuss the accident and their thoughts and feelings as they process the traumatic experience. Health care professionals may prescribe PTSD victims medication to reduce their anxiety, nightmares, flashbacks, bad memories, hallucinations, disinterest and numbing, or irritability.
Car accidents can leave victims with other issues to cope with. People with PTSD from a car accident may also experience chronic pain and depression. They may also turn to substance use or abuse to deal with the aftermath of a crash.
Hammack Law Firm Can Help You Rebuild Your Life
If you have been diagnosed with PTSD or have experienced PTSD symptoms after a car accident, our personal injury lawyer can help. PTSD, along with other psychological and emotional disorders, is a form of pain and suffering that you could be compensated for.
Hammack Law Firm offers our clients compassionate, responsive legal care. Our attorney will review your options with you during a free consultation. They may be able to help you recover accident-related financial losses, such as your medical bills, lost income, and property damage after a South Carolina car accident. Call Hammack Law Firm today at (864) 766-7108 to get started.
With over 25 years of legal experience, Paul Hammack provides his clients with a level of trial expertise and strategic insight rarely found in personal injury litigation. Having spent the first eight years of his career working within major insurance defense firms across Georgia and South Carolina, Paul gained an intimate understanding of the “other side’s” playbook. This insurance industry background serves as a unique differentiator for his clients; he knows exactly how insurance carriers evaluate risk and what motivates them to pay top dollar for a claim.
In 2008, Paul founded Hammack Law Firm to move away from the “plaintiff mill” model and focus on building personal relationships with those he represents. As a seasoned litigator, he has tried dozens of first-chair cases to verdict, specializing in high-stakes litigation involving catastrophic injuries and complex truck accidents. His dual-state practice allows him to provide aggressive representation across both South Carolina and Georgia, ensuring victims of negligence receive the maximum financial compensation possible regardless of which side of the state line the accident occurred.
Paul’s commitment to excellence is reflected in his record of significant achievements, including a $10 million tractor-trailer wrongful death settlement and a $3.9 million moped-versus-truck recovery. His credentials and bar admissions in both South Carolina and Georgia underscore his deep roots in the regional legal community. Beyond the courtroom, Paul is a dedicated advocate for his local community, contributing his time and resources to organizations such as the United Way, Red Cross, and Hands On Greenville, all while working to make South Carolina a safer place for everyone.
