Hit-and-Run Accidents Can Cause a Lot of Emotional Trauma

When people hear of a person being involved in a hit-and-run accident, they may automatically think about the person’s possible broken bones, bruises, cuts, and other physical injuries. While a lot of hit-and-run victims do experience these painful physical injuries, they also suffer from emotional and psychological trauma, which is less talked about. The memories from the accident as well as the stress and frustration that comes with communicating with insurance companies or trying to get doctors to listen to you can become increasingly overwhelming, causing these psychological and emotional issues to arise.

Why would someone have emotional trauma after a hit-and-run accident?

When a person is involved in a traumatic event or situation, they are likely to have emotional or psychological trauma. According to the Jed Foundation, a nonprofit organization working to prevent suicide and protect emotional health, emotional trauma can be defined as “the end result of events or experiences that leave us feeling deeply unsafe and often helpless.” Therefore, when a person is involved in any type of motor vehicle accident, they may begin to feel panicked and stressed immediately after the accident. While some people are able to control and process these feelings within a few hours or days, it is important to know that many individuals will have lasting mental health effects that may never go away.

Remember, too, that these feelings may be compounded by the fact that many victims never get true justice. The problem with Chicago hit-and-runs (as our regular blog readers are aware) is that so many of them go unsolved. So not only do victims feel stressed and anxious about their injuries; they have to live with the knowledge that there’s a good chance the liable party won’t get caught. And that could leave folks feeling like they could be a victim again.

Read more:

• Do Insurance Companies Cover Hit-and-Run Accidents?
• Will Insurance Cover the Costs of My Hit-and-Run Injuries?
• Hit-and-Run Liability and Damages in Chicago

What are some of the emotional effects that may emerge after a hit-and-run accident?

After a hit-and-run accident in Chicago, individuals will most likely suffer many different emotional and psychological effects. Some of the most common effects include:

• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): A person can develop PTSD after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. Some of the signs that you may have PTSD are nightmares, flashbacks, self-isolation, uncontrollable memories or thoughts, and more.
• Intrusive thoughts: Intrusive thoughts are when a person has certain thoughts or images in their mind that appear suddenly. The person usually does not want to have these thoughts, but they cannot get rid of them.
• Insomnia and sleeping issues: An individual who has a hard time sleeping or cannot sleep long may have insomnia. This may cause them to feel tired throughout the day, affecting their mood and quality of life.
• Developing phobias such as vehophobia or agoraphobia: When a person goes through a terrifying experience, they may develop certain phobias. One of the most common phobias after a car accident is vehophobia, which is the fear of driving or getting behind the wheel. A lot of people who develop vehophobia never drive again. Another common phobia after an accident is agoraphobia. This is when a person develops a fear of places that may cause panic or anxiety. If they were in a hit-and-run accident, they may avoid the area where their accident took place.
• Paranoia: Paranoia is a condition in which an individual believes that they are being followed, threatened, or watched. There is usually no proof that this is actually happening to the person, which likely suggests that they have developed a mental condition called paranoia.
• Detachment: An individual may have detachment issues if they are unwilling or unable to connect to other people. They typically do not choose to be detached; they just are unable to be open and connect to others emotionally. This often occurs after an accident as the person may shut down and become closed off to other people.
• Easily irritable: When a person’s stressors and frustrations are at an all-time high, they often become easily irritable. This means that every little thing may irritate, aggravate, or bother them.
• Depression: Depression is a very serious condition that can impact a person’s feelings, actions, and thoughts. Many people involved in motor vehicle collisions no longer enjoy doing the things that they once did or prefer to stay to themselves, which are both signs of depression.
• Anxiety: People who develop anxiety typically fear, worry, and stress about certain situations that others do not. This may cause panic attacks and terrors to occur.

In addition to these emotional and psychological effects, some people will develop substance abuse disorders and alcoholism. The reason for this is because these substances may be used as a way to cope with the effects from the accident.

How a Chicago car accident attorney can help you with your case

Many people contact car accident attorneys to recover damages for their property damage, injuries, and medical bills because they simply do not realize that they have the ability to claim emotional trauma as a loss as well. At Gainsberg Injury and Accident Lawyers, our Chicago car accident lawyers sit down with clients and go over both economic and non-economic losses that can be claimed in a hit-and-run accident. We believe that both of these types of losses share the same importance and should both be compensated for. Therefore, while your emotional trauma is considered a non-economic loss, you should still include it in your claim because it is a negative consequence that you are dealing with from the accident.

If our attorneys are unable to find the driver who caused your accident, we will handle all forms of communication with your insurance company. Even though insurance companies make you believe that they will help you out if these cases ever emerge, most insurance companies will try to challenge your losses, making an already tough situation even more difficult.

The good news is that our legal team is equipped with the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience to know the many tricks and tactics that insurance companies use to encourage people to take a lower settlement than they deserve. As a result, we will help you prepare a strong and convincing argument as well as obtain proof of your medical bills, lost income, property damage, psychological prescriptions, and counseling expenses to show your insurance company the losses you have incurred from the hit-and-run accident.

Hit and run cases can become complicated very quickly. That said, you need a lawyer that knows how to aggressively advocate for your needs and wishes. At Gainsberg Injury and Accident Lawyers, our Chicago car accident attorneys have what it takes to represent you, stand up for your rights, and achieve the best outcome possible. Call our office or fill out our contact form to schedule your free case evaluation and begin discussing your hit-and-run accident with a professional lawyer as soon as possible.