What are the Long-Term Effects of a Car Accident?

The long-term effects of a car accident can damage a person’s mental and physical health. The lasting impacts of car accidents can be permanent; therefore, all victims should seek compensation to cover damages, emotional distress, and possible future expenses related to injuries from the accident. Hiring an experienced car accident lawyer can be invaluable to help victims recover.

What Steps Should be Done after a Car Accident?

First off, seek medical attention where necessary and get a full examination following the accident. This medical report will be crucial in court. During recovery, there may be visible cuts, scrapes, and bruises, but long-term effects normally appear later. This is usually due to the initial shock most people experience when victim to a collision. The adrenaline that is going through one’s body distracts them from other pain they may be feeling. These damages may appear days or weeks after the accident. Make note of those injuries later, and inform medical professionals involved as well as the lawyers representing the case. All information must be enclosed and updated when needed to ensure the fullest amount of compensation is secured.

What are Some Long-Term Issues for Victims of Car Accidents?

Learning to adapt getting around without a car, the lasting physical impacts, experiencing the death of a loved one involved in the accident, and the lengthy legal battles and settlements are possible issues. Some examples of trauma are neck and back injuries, cuts and burns, tissue damage and fractures, limb loss, and death. Other concerns include anxiety and depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and behavior changes. Although some of these lasting effects are said to diminish or subside over time, they can end up being permanent.

The physical effects of a car accident tend to appear more severe. The most common physical injuries related to car accidents are head traumas and injuries to the brain; neck strains and injuries such as whiplash; and back problems such as strains, sprains, fractures, or disk injuries. The physical injuries that are associated with long-term effects are most likely permanent. These become disabilities such as amputation, paralysis, or traumatic brain injuries that diminish mental capacity. There is also an issue where soft tissue injuries cause tendons, muscles, and ligaments to be affected long term.

The hidden wounds that lie behind the physical pain are the mental and emotional injuries. Emotional damages are known to last longer compared with physical trauma. Emotional and mental damages can disrupt daily routines and the flow of one’s everyday life. Some include mental anguish, emotional distress, fear and anger, humiliation, anxiety and shock, embarrassment, crying fits, loss of appetite and weight changes, lack of energy and mood swings, and issues with sleeping. Studies have shown that those who experience a combination of these symptoms have continued to struggle even after a year the accident has occurred. Some common additional conditions are PTSD, depression, and phobias. These are common consequences that follow the negative stress and pain of an accident. The recovery from these long-term mental illnesses and injuries should be included in the pain and suffering damages section of one’s court case.

One of the most common results of a car accident is PTSD. The risk of developing this disorder is high and greatly affects the lives of many drivers. Some of the symptoms and lasting effects are dissociation, high emotional levels, anxiety, shock and grief, guilt, confusion, and helplessness. These are feelings that do not go away, and studies have shown that they can get worse. There are methods to help those adjust to living a normal life once diagnosed with PTSD. Some effective treatments are therapy techniques related to cognitive processing and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). This will aid in the emotional and mental part related to the experience.

What is the Treatment and Recovery Process?

Having a broken bone as a result of a car accident is common. In some cases, surgical correction is necessary and can take up to four months to recover.

If someone suffers a concussion, it will take a couple weeks up to a few months to heal. Any injuries that affect the brain will take close to several months to heal, depending on the extent of the injury and the rehabilitation required for recovery.

Any injuries related to vertebrae or the spinal cord could involve surgery. This means that recovery time can last for months depending on the procedure. Any form of chronic pain may develop as a result, which leads to injuries lasting long term.

If there is an injury related to muscle tears, there is chance that surgery may be required; following that, physical therapy may be needed, which could entail several months of recovery.

Finally, emotional injuries require treatment from a mental professional, and unfortunately there is no time frame to determine if full recovery is possible.

What can be Done about Long-Lasting Effects of the Accident?

Some of these side effects alter the remainder of a victim’s life. Depending on the severity of an accident, the impact it has on the victim, their daily lives, and treatment, there are ways to regain control. After the recovery process has begun, victims are encouraged to meet with lawyers who are willing to help, enter therapy if needed, and receive the medical treatment necessary to return to their daily lives. Regardless of the situation at hand, all victims should fight for total compensation in efforts to support themselves and live comfortably again.

Highland Park Car Accident Lawyers at the Law Offices of Harold J. Gerr Help Accident Victims Recover from Long-Term Injuries

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, reach out to the Highland Park car accident lawyers at the Law Offices of Harold J. Gerr. Our legal team has assisted in the awarding of millions of dollars in settlements and compensation for injury victims and their families. We serve a diverse community of people and fight for those who are unable to fight for themselves in a time of distress. Call us today at 877-249-4600 or 732-537-8570 or contact us online for a free consultation. Located in Highland Park, New Jersey, we serve clients in New Brunswick, Somerset, Piscataway, Edison, South River, Sayreville, Metuchen, East Brunswick, South Plainfield, Fords, Middlesex, Old Bridge, Iselin, Bound Brook, Perth Amboy, Colonia, Elizabeth, and Newark.