What are Triggers of Trauma In a Car Accident?

How serious are car accidents when the person who is injured due to negligence walks away with emotional trauma? Unfortunately, this is something that can have a significant impact on the individual’s entire life.

For these people, the emotional trauma can be far more damaging, taking a lot longer to recover from than the physical injuries. This is because there are often triggers that exist which can cause the person to feel intense fear and anxiety when present. Here are some of the triggers that may arise.

When Cars Brake and Tires Skid

The sound of a screeching tire is associated with vehicles needing to brake after traveling at significant speeds. Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence when a car accident occurs and is often a source of the trigger because it gives the injured party a potential reminder of their own crash if the sound was present at the time.

Hearing or Seeing Another Car Accident Occur

Even if the injured individual is walking along the sidewalk and they witness another crash, this could be enough to cause a trigger of fear and anxiety. Any moment that causes the person to relive their own accident can result in them freezing in place, feeling out of their own body, and more.

Images of Catastrophic Crashes

Because of how intense accidents can be for some individuals, there is a high potential for even images to cause a trigger. This can be a reminder to the individual of what may have happened in their own accident and fear can take over.

Triggers are often very damaging for an individual because of how it can impact their life. For some, it changes everything. For others, they may not even recognize it exists until something happens. Regardless of the severity of trauma, any little bit can be difficult to cope with alone.

 

PTSD Following a Motor Vehicle Accident

Following a motor vehicle accident, the victim may find that they experience a psychological response to the situation. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can result from a life-threatening situation or serious injury. After a car accident, symptoms of PTSD can include:

  • Reexperiencing the trauma
  • Avoidance of thoughts associated with the accident
  • Numbing of emotional response
  • Increased irritability
  • Disturbed sleep

 

Post-Accident Shock

Shock is our body’s response to traumatic experiences, including injury and frightening occurrences. There are a number of types of shock, but they often involve involuntary bodily responses.

Some of the common symptoms of shock include:

  • Nausea & vomiting
  • Confusion and disorientation
  • Fainting
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Irregular heartbeat rhythm

Victims of shock often experience serious complications that may even require emergency surgery, blood transfusions, or ongoing medical attention. If you are in need of financial recovery from a shock post accident, we encourage you to find out what options are available to you by talking with our legal team.

Our Oregon car accident lawyers at The Gatti Law Firm truly understand how difficult of a time this can be for you. If you are seriously harmed as a result of someone else’s negligence, know that you are not alone and you have rights to take action.

Call our firm today at (503) 543-1114 to discuss your potential case in a free consultation.

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