Can I Claim Anxiety After a Car Accident in San Diego, CA?

David Muñoz | August 29, 2022 | Car Accidents

Can I Claim Anxiety After a Car Accident in San Diego, CA?

Some injuries after an accident cannot be established by showing an X-ray or MRI. Some are more psychological in nature, but they are no less real or significant to accident victims. 

If you were injured in a car accident, an experienced personal injury lawyer can help you determine the full extent of your damages and avenues for compensation. 

Why Do People Suffer Anxiety After a Car Accident?

A National Library of Medicine study shows that as many as one-third of people involved in non-fatal motor vehicle accidents suffer from some type of emotional trauma. This trauma often creates reverberating consequences for accident victims through anxiety, depression, and other psychological conditions. 

For some people, a car accident is the most traumatizing event they have ever experienced. Car accidents can be scary experiences. 

Accident victims may remember the accident and be triggered every time they get in a vehicle. They may also suffer injuries that impact their ability to work, everyday relationships, and recreational activities. They may be worried about being injured again or how they will support their families while they are injured. All of these factors can result in accident victims suffering anxiety. 

Symptoms of Anxiety

According to Mayo Clinic, anxiety disorders are characterized by repeated episodes of sudden feelings of intense anxiety and fear that peak within minutes. 

Common symptoms that correspond to anxiety include:

  • Feelings of nervousness, tenseness, and restlessness
  • Feeling impending danger, panic, or doom
  • Rapid breathing
  • Increased heart rate
  • Sweating or trembling
  • Fatigue
  • Sleep problems
  • Having gastrointestinal problems
  • Problems controlling worry
  • Avoiding things that trigger anxiety
  • Problems concentrating or thinking 

If you are feeling these symptoms following a car accident, seek prompt medical treatment so that your injuries can be properly diagnosed, treated, and made part of your official medical records.

Non-Economic Losses in California Car Accident Cases 

California law allows personal injury victims to recover compensation for economic damages they suffer, as well as non-economic damages. Anxiety may lead to economic damages, such as medical expenses to receive counseling or therapy or the need to work reduced hours. 

However, anxiety can also be the basis of non-economic damages, which California Code, Civil Code – CIV § 1431.2 describes as “subjective, non-monetary losses,” including:

  • Pain and suffering
  • Inconvenience
  • Mental suffering 
  • Emotional distress 
  • Loss of society and companionship 

You deserve to be fairly compensated for all the ways you have been negatively impacted by the accident. 

How to Prove Anxiety After a Car Accident in San Diego, CA

Non-economic damages can be difficult to establish, but a skilled personal injury lawyer knows how to document anxiety and other non-economic damages in your case. 

Depending on the circumstances in your case, you may be able to prove you suffered anxiety after a car accident by evidence such as:

  • Medical records that show you are undergoing counseling or taking medication related to an anxiety disorder
  • Doctor’s notes from your primary care physician that notate the anxiety you’ve suffered since the accident
  • Statements from your spouse, coworkers, relatives, or friends about how you have acted more anxious since the accident
  • Your own statements concerning the anxiety you feel on a regular basis 
  • Journal entries you keep contemporaneously with your medical treatment that describe anxious thoughts and your response to treatment 

A skilled San Diego personal injury lawyer will help you maximize the value of your claim. Your attorney will work to protect your interests so that you can focus on your recovery. 

Contact the San Diego Car Accident Law Firm of Mission Personal Injury Lawyers Today To Get More Information

If you’ve been injured in a car accident in San Diego or Chula Vista, please call Mission Personal Injury Lawyers for a free case evaluation with a personal injury lawyer or contact us online.

We proudly serve San Diego County and throughout California.

Mission Personal Injury Lawyers
2515 Camino del Rio S Suite 350, San Diego, CA 92108
(619) 777-5555

Mission Personal Injury Lawyers – Chula Vista Office
690 Otay Lakes Rd #130, Chula Vista, CA 91910
(619) 722-3032

We also serve the state of Texas. Contact our personal injury law office in El Paso for legal assistance today.

Mission Personal Injury Lawyers – El Paso Office
201 E Main Suite 106, El Paso, Texas 79901
(915) 591-1000