Have you been involved in a car crash due to reckless or distracted driving? Have you been left with an injury that has lasting effects on you physically or emotionally? The legal team at the Law Office of Beverly R. Caruthers is here to help you. Attorney Caruthers is an experienced auto accident attorney who cares about the outcome of your case.

What Is A Traumatic Injury?

Traumatic injury is a term which refers to physical injuries of sudden onset and severity which require immediate medical attention. The insult may cause systemic shock called “shock trauma”, and may require immediate resuscitation and interventions to save life and limb. Traumatic injuries are the result of a wide variety of blunt, penetrating and burn mechanisms. They include motor vehicle collisions, sports injuries, falls, natural disasters and a multitude of other physical injuries which can occur at home, on the street, or while at work and require immediate care.

Types of Traumatic Injuries

Some common type of traumatic injuries include, but are not limited to:

Traumatic brain injury
Spinal cord injury
Spine fractures
Amputation – traumatic
Facial trauma
Acoustic trauma
Crush injury
Concussion
Broken bone
Jaw – Broken or dislocated
Skull fracture
Cuts and puncture wounds
Collapsed lung
Myocardial contusion
Burns
Electrical injury
Hypovolemic shock
Subarachnoid hemorrhage
Subdural hematoma

In addition to these physically traumatic injuries that can result after a vehicle accident, there are also emotional injuries that can make it difficult to complete daily tasks to move forward with your life. Personal injury attorney Beverly R. Caruthers will work with you to get compensation for more than your medical bills and property damage, but for the long term effects you face after becoming injured in a car accident. Our team takes on your car accident case to ensure you are fairly compensated taking into account lost wages, emotional trauma, future medical expenses, and more. We work with you through the process of filing a claim to ensure you do not make any mistakes while communicating with insurance companies.

What Does Emotional Trauma Look Like?

According to some national estimates, around nine percent of those who survive a car accident eventually develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This is significant considering that it may not account for other medical conditions that can arise after a crash such as depression or anxiety.

You may be able to identify suffering from emotional trauma by some of the common symptoms, which often include:

Sleep loss or sleep disturbances
Nightmares
Disordered or confused thinking
Weight fluctuations
Moodiness/irritability
Depression
Feelings of loneliness, embarrassment, or being overwhelmed
Compulsive or obsessive behaviors
Chronic fatigue or exhaustion
Social withdrawal

The severity of your emotional trauma and symptoms can depend on several factors. Trauma affects individuals in different ways. An example of some of these factors, which can arise before, during, or after a car accident, include:

Existence of any pre-existing medical conditions
Degree of physical injuries involved in the accident
Potential life-threat of an accident
Death or injury of significant others in an accident
Low rate of recovery after an accident
Reduced social support/coping mechanisms

How Can Emotional Trauma Affect Your Case?

Most jurisdictions allow car accident victims to recover for their emotional distress in the form of non-economic damages. Unlike economic damages which refer to specific costs resulting from your injury, non-economic damages cover losses like pain and suffering that don’t easily convert into specific dollar amounts. Because of this, some jurisdictions impose caps on the amount you can recover for mental anguish.

When determining how to compensate victims for their emotional trauma, juries will look to:

The underlying physical injuries and their severity
Any formal medical diagnoses relating to emotional trauma
The frequency and severity of the symptoms
Whether the trauma can be treated in the future

When it comes to both establishing your emotional trauma and recovering mental anguish damages, it’s more likely if your accident also resulted in physical injuries.

Establishing Your Emotional Trauma After a Car Accident

Your ability to recover damages for emotional trauma may depend on documenting the trauma and its symptoms. If you’re seeing a medical provider for your emotional trauma, they will also want you to accurately document your symptoms as this will help ensure a more accurate diagnosis.

You should keep a log documenting when you experience your symptoms, such as nightmares about the car accident, and how long they last. If these symptoms are severe enough to keep you from going to work or performing other social activities, that’s also important to document. Your employer will also likely maintain a record of your absences or days when you were late or had to leave early due to your symptoms.

Spanish Speaking Car Accident Lawyer in Houston, Texas

Spanish-speaking individuals can have a more difficult time seeking justice in their personal injury cases due to language barriers. This causes them to not take action against those who have left them with financial devastation and physical trauma. At the Law Office of Beverly R. Caruthers, our team refuses to let a language barrier affect your right to justice and compensation. If you or someone you love has been injured in an accident and is in need of Spanish-speaking legal advice, our team is here for you.

Personal Injury Lawyer in Houston, Texas

If you or someone you love has been involved in a car accident and suffered an injury, experienced loss of income, or are unable to work due to a car accident, you can benefit from the services of a Houston car accident expert in your personal injury case. Whether you missed work due to an injury or due to not having access to a vehicle, Attorney Beverly R. Caruthers can help you!

Beverly R Caruthers Law Office
Address: 4141 Southwest Fwy, Suite 620
Houston, TX 77027
(713) 526-9557
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