Car accidents can lead to all sorts of physical ailments, from bruises to head injuries to broken bones. The first line of treatment that you get after a crash is going to focus on figuring out what is wrong physically and helping you heal. In extreme situations, doctors are just trying to stabilize you and keep you alive before looking at the long-term results.
However, not all issues after a car accident are as obvious as a physical injury. You can have mental and emotional issues, as well. They’re often far harder to detect. at first, but you may find that they have an even more drastic impact on your life over time.
For instance, maybe you got in a severe crash when someone else ran a red light, and you broke both of your legs. It was incredibly painful and you were trapped in bed for months while you healed. Then you had to go through physical rehab. But, in the end, you did heal and things returned to normal.
Except they didn’t. You had PTSD, as well, or post-traumatic stress disorder. You felt very nervous every time you got in the car, to the point that you couldn’t drive. You had flashbacks and nightmares. If you had to go through an intersection, even as a passenger, you had panic attacks. All of this made it impossible for you to work or enjoy your life, even though your physical injuries had healed long ago.
If this happens to you, the issues stem from the traffic accident just as much as your physical injuries. Be sure you know what legal options you have.