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Most people expect to walk away from a car crash with whiplash, broken bones, or a concussion. They don’t expect to walk away from a car accident with PTSD.
PTSD, also known as post-traumatic stress disorder, is a serious mental health disorder. It can significantly affect your quality of life. Even though PTSD is becoming more well-known, many people don’t realize that they have developed this disorder after a car accident.
If you are experiencing PTSD after a car accident in Buffalo, you may have legal options. You can recover compensation to pay for treatment and reimburse other losses caused by PTSD. A Buffalo car accident lawyer at O’Brien & Ford Buffalo Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers can help you fight to get payment and your life back on track.
PTSD is a psychiatric disorder. It develops after someone experiences a particularly traumatic event. Usually, the event is life-threatening or emotionally and physically harmful. In this case, a car accident.
Many people mistakenly believe that only combat veterans can experience PTSD. However, this could not be further from the truth. As the disorder becomes more mainstream, it is clear that different types of trauma can cause PTSD.
There are four main categories of PTSD symptoms:
To get a diagnosis, one needs to have symptoms for more than a month after the incident and have them significantly impact one’s day-to-day life.
Symptoms of intrusion are:
Intrusive symptoms are the most well-known symptoms of PTSD.
Avoidance symptoms include avoiding:
These symptoms can be easily brushed off as normal after a car accident. Unfortunately, they are often written off as not that serious.
Chris O’Brien is a nationally recognized personal injury attorney with over 30 years of experience fighting for accident victims in Western New York. A founding partner at O’Brien & Ford, he has helped recover millions for clients and built a reputation as a top trial lawyer and educator. Chris is a Diplomate of the National College of Advocacy, a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, and was named one of Western New York’s Top Ten Lawyers by Buffalo Business First. He lives in Amherst with his family and their Bernedoodle, Moose.
Years of experience: 33 years
Practice areas: Personal Injury Law, Car Accidents
Location: Buffalo, New York
Both alterations in cognition and mood, as well as arousal and reactivity, may present as symptoms of a brain injury. This can be confusing if you also suffered a head injury during the crash.
Symptoms may include:
These types of symptoms can be difficult to pinpoint as PTSD. When there may be co-occurring physical injuries after a car accident, it is even more important to have a physical and psychological evaluation.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for PTSD. However, there are several treatment options. These treatments can help mitigate the symptoms of PTSD and increase your quality of life.
Your doctor may use one or a combination of multiple treatment methods. The main PTSD treatments are:
Sometimes, people with PTSD also have other mental health conditions. This may include substance abuse issues. PTSD treatment may involve treating these other conditions simultaneously.
There are many options to recover damages for PTSD after a car accident. The most straightforward way is to request non-economic damages.
Non-economic damages are payments for intangible losses. This often includes payment for mental health disorders that result from an accident. You can also get paid for the effect of PTSD on your overall quality and enjoyment of life. There are multiple different ways to calculate the value of non-economic damages.
Additionally, you can recover certain economic damages related to PTSD. For example, you may get payment for cognitive or exposure therapy bills or lost wages if you are unable to work because of PTSD.
A Buffalo car accident lawyer can help you calculate your damages so that you recover all that you are entitled to recover. More importantly, they can fight to hold the defendant liable on your behalf. You shouldn’t have to live with the emotional consequences of PTSD after a car accident without any financial help.
For more information, please contact the Buffalo car accident lawyers at O’Brien & Ford Buffalo Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation with an accident lawyer. We have a convenient office location in Buffalo, NY.
Buffalo Personal Injury Lawyer. Choose the 2’s.
With over 80 years of combined experience, the Buffalo personal injury lawyers at O’Brien & Ford, PC are here to fight for the justice you deserve. Call us today at (716) 222-2222 to schedule your free consultation with one of our top-rated attorneys.
We proudly serve all throughout Erie County and the state of New York.
O’Brien & Ford Buffalo Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers
4549 Main St, Suite 201
Buffalo, New York, 14226
(716) 222-2222
Best Law Firm of America
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by Attorney Chris O’Brien, who has more than 33 years of legal experience as a personal injury attorney.
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