Can I claim for the impact my accident has had on my mental health?
Yes. If you have been involved in an accident that was not your fault you can claim compensation for the impact this has had on your physical and/or your mental health.
A psychological injury is suffering mentally or emotionally or experiencing a psychiatric consequence following a traumatic event, which may or may not include a physical injury.
Physical injury and mental health are closely linked. A serious or chronic injury can cause mental health problems including depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Poor mental health can also negatively impact the recovery rate of your physical injury or illness.
What if I have not been physically injured?
You can still claim for compensation for a psychological injury even if you have not been physically hurt.
A psychological injury may result when a person experiences or witnesses a traumatic event. Psychological or emotional trauma can occur having lived through a frightening or distressing event which can impact one’s ability to cope and function normally.
Everyone responds differently to trauma, some common symptoms are reliving the incident, intrusive thoughts, nightmares and flashbacks of the incident, confusion, difficulty with memory or concentration and mood swings. Avoiding places that remind you of the incident or withdrawing from social activities that you once enjoyed. Physically you might experience anxiety or panic attacks, obsessions and compulsions, shock and disbelief, fear, anger, frustration, irritability as well as difficulty falling or staying asleep, hypervigilance and edginess, rapid heartbeat, unexplained aches and pains, sexual dysfunction, changes eating patterns, tiredness and misuse of alcohol or drug as a coping mechanism.
Fortunately, there is help out there and common treatments include counselling, Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
At JMK Solicitors we have helped many clients secure compensation for the emotional distress an accident or injury has had on their lives as well as arranging treatment such as CBT to assist them in their recovery.
If you want advice about claiming for psychological injury as a result of a traumatic event, please get in touch with a member of our team today.
JMK Solicitors are Northern Ireland’s Number 1 Personal Injury Specialists. With a team of over 100 people including a team of personal injury solicitors, we assist clients all over Northern Ireland. If you have suffered a personal injury or psychological injury, been in a road traffic accident, or had an accident at work, contact our team for a free consultation.
Call us today on 028 9032 0222 or email us law@jmksolicitors.com
