Can You Sue for PTSD After a Car Accident in North Carolina?
Yes, you can sue for PTSD after a car accident in North Carolina. PTSD resulting from a car accident is a serious injury for which you can be compensated under North Carolina law.
What Are the Symptoms of PTSD?
A car accident is a deeply upsetting experience. It’s natural to be confused or shaken up for days or weeks afterward. However, some people experience prolonged symptoms of stress and anxiety that continue for months or years.
While symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) vary among individuals, they often include nightmares and flashbacks about the accident, and difficulty sleeping and concentrating.
Avoidant behaviors such as not wanting to drive or staying away from the area where the accident occurred are commonly seen among PTSD sufferers.
PTSD sufferers often startle easily. Mood swings and feeling detached emotionally—even from loved ones—can be symptoms.
Other PTSD symptoms include:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Angry outbursts
- Feelings of guilt
- Suicidal thoughts
You may be at a greater risk for PTSD if you already suffer from depression, anxiety, have other pre-existing mental health problems, or experienced other traumas earlier in your life.
Do I Need an Attorney to Sue for PTSD?
You need an attorney when you sue for PTSD to help you prove that the accident caused your PTSD. The symptoms of PTSD typically arise weeks after the accident.
Your attorney can present medical evidence and expert testimony to support your PTSD diagnosis and prove how the accident triggered it.
In addition, North Carolina has a “pure negligence” rule. One party must be 100 percent at fault, while the other party bears no fault at all for the accident.
The other driver will try extremely hard to put at least part of the blame—even if only 1%—on you. If they succeed, you will recover nothing for your PTSD. The other driver and insurers may be represented by attorneys, placing you at a disadvantage without counsel of your own..
Can You Recover the Cost of Car-accident-related Mental Health Treatment?
An attorney will seek full compensation for your PTSD injury and the mental health services you need.
Mental health treatment is an important aspect of your recovery from PTSD following a vehicular accident. Your attorney will seek monetary damages to help pay the cost of PTSD-related mental health treatment as part of the damages award on your behalf. Additionally, they will seek compensation for your medical treatment costs such as medication to treat your PTSD symptoms. If you feel like you might have a case for PTSD from your car accident, give our lawyers at Rhine Law a call. We offer free consultations. You deserve to be compensated for your pain and suffering, and we’ll fight to get the best possible outcome for you.
