Are You Suffering from PTSD After a Car Accident in Florida?

Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers | Car Accident

Are You Suffering from PTSD After a Car Accident in Florida?

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affects individuals who have experienced or witnessed a frightening event. The disorder makes it difficult for them to function normally because recurring memories, nightmares, and other triggers force them to relive the original incident.

Because of the violent nature of many vehicle accidents, individuals are frequently left with traumatic memories that regularly replay themselves. While reliving a car accident, the victim goes through some or all of the same emotional stresses they experienced during the incident.

Cases of PTSD in Florida

It’s long been known that car accidents cause PTSD in many survivors. Pair that with the alarming accident statistics for the Tampa area, and you have many cases of PTSD coming from the roadways. 

According to SaferAmerica, Clearwater in Pinellas County is the site of one of the most dangerous intersections in Florida: US-Route 19 at Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard. Additionally, Pinellas County has more car accident fatalities than any other county in the state. SaferAmerica puts the death rate at one fatality per 4.57 miles of road.

If you are the survivor of a terrifying car accident in the Tampa area or anywhere else, there’s a chance you are experiencing PTSD. Although everyone will develop bad memories of a car accident, PTSD recollections rise to a level of debilitation and cause some or all of the following symptoms. 

Intrusive Memories

PTSD prevents victims from blocking out, turning off, or compartmentalizing traumatic memories. The underlying event plays like a broken record for the victim. Nightmares and unrelenting memories commonly bombard victims’ lives. Victims can also become triggered by things around them that remind them of the event.

Unhealthy Avoidance

Up to a point, it’s healthy to remove yourself from anything that reminds you of a traumatic event you’ve experienced. However, unhealthy levels of avoidance can lead to isolation and a failure to face the consequences of the accident.  

If you’ve been in a catastrophic car accident or have witnessed one, you might find yourself avoiding car rides, avoiding the road where the accident occurred, and avoiding anyone associated with the wreck.

Uncharacteristic Negative Thoughts

PTSD can cause a once optimistic person to lose themselves in pessimism and hopelessness. It can also lead to losing interest in things that once brought joy, including relationships with friends and family. Emotional numbness may also occur. 

Behavioral Changes

PTSD may cause jumpiness in car accident survivors or witnesses and prevent them from letting down their guard. In even those most innocuous situations, PTSD victims may find themselves in a state of emotional tautness. 

Existing like this often leads to sleep deprivation and trouble concentrating. Sufferers may also lash out inappropriately.

PTSD and Car Accident Injury Claims

If a car accident has caused you to suffer from PTSD, you may have recourse for any damages you have suffered. Under Florida law, you may make a claim for damages caused by PTSD if a) you also suffered an injury during the wreck and b) the injury is one of the following: 

  • A significant or permanent loss to an important bodily function
  • Permanent injury, excluding scarring or disfigurement 
  • Significant or permanent disfigurement or scarring
  • Death

There can be no valid lawsuit without a serious injury or a fatality underlying a PTSD car accident claim because of Florida’s no-fault insurance system. 

Seeking Compensation for Your Condition

Attorneys who handle PTSD claims offer free consultations for potential clients. If you’ve been injured or have lost a loved one and are experiencing PTSD symptoms due to a vehicle accident, speaking with an experienced personal injury attorney is the way to learn about your options for moving forward. 

Contact the Pinellas County Car Accident Law Firm Of Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers for Help

For more information, please contact the Clearwater and St. Petersburg car accident law firm of Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers at the nearest location to schedule a free consultation today.

We serve in Pinellas County, and its surrounding areas:

Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers – Clearwater
1875 N Belcher Rd. STE 201,
Clearwater, FL 33765,
United States
727-796-8282

Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers – St. Petersburg
2560 1st Ave S,
St. Petersburg, FL 33712,
United States
(727) 349-1728