Philadelphia Injury Attorney Blog

People who have been involved in severe car accidents often suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a significant injury and the symptoms can last for decades. Typically, passengers or drivers involved in car accidents sustain symptoms of shock, nervousness and anger and guilt. These symptoms often involve PTSD if the car accident was severe, involved fatalities, or if the individual had underlying psychiatric disorders or a prior traumatic experience.

I recently met with the passenger of an automobile that was involved in a most catastrophic injury inducing accident where the driver was killed and the passenger sustained broken bones. The driver was the best friend of the passenger and both were seat-belted at the time of the accident which took the life of the driver. The passenger had lost his best friend and had extreme guilt following the accident and asked why he had not died as well. I have seen PTSD manifested in many catastrophic and fatal car accidents. The event makes the victims feel afraid and helpless. People with PTSD have trouble coping with and getting over traumatic events and often feel the affects for months afterwards. People who have anxiety, depression and other mental disorders are more likely to develop PTSD, as well as people who have been the victims of other traumas. The typical PTSD sufferer can undergo changes in their brain and these changes can lead to symptoms including, but not limited to, the constant reliving of the event, avoidance, numbing and feeling “jittery” and anxious. Many times, sufferers will complain of “flashbacks”.