While personal injuries can cause significant financial harm, they can also cause other types of damages that are not as economic in nature, such as pain and suffering and emotional distress. If you’re suffering from PTSD, insomnia, depression, or anxiety following an accident that wasn’t your fault, you may be able to recover compensation for your emotional distress.
However, proving these damages is more difficult than proving other types of damages. You can’t get an X-ray of your distress. But, if you can prove your emotional distress by demonstrating its existence, that it is tied directly to your accident, and is severe, you may be able to recover considerable compensation for it. Here are some ways that you may be able to prove your emotional distress damages in your San Antonio personal injury claim:
Medical Records
While X-rays won’t show your emotional distress, they can show that you communicated your concerns to healthcare providers. You may have begun seeing a therapist to discuss your situation. Your medical and mental health records can indicate the onset of your symptoms, whether you were diagnosed with a particular mental health condition, the treatment you received, and the effect of treatment.
Medical Expert Testimony
Your doctor, therapist, or another medical expert may be able to provide reports or testimony about the emotional effects the accident has had on your life. This professional opinion can go a long way toward establishing the existence and severity of your emotional distress.
Your Testimony
You can also provide statements or testimony about how the accident has adversely affected your life. For example, you may be able to explain:
- You often lose sleep or have nightmares about the accident.
- You’re afraid to get in a vehicle again after a car accident.
- You have panic attacks.
- You feel depressed and don’t know how to improve your mood.
- You have become socially isolated because of the accident.
By being open and transparent about these less obvious but just as real effects, you may be able to show your emotional distress.
Testimony from Those Around You
Friends, family members, and coworkers could also provide testimony about how the accident has changed you. This testimony can be helpful because it shows how you were before the accident and how you are following it.
Pain and Emotional Effects Journal
Your San Antonio car accident lawyer might recommend keeping a pain journal. In addition to discussing your daily pain, you can also include notes about:
- The change of your emotions
- Patterns of depression or anxiety
- Events or activities that you missed
- How the accident has affected your relationships
Contact Our Compassionate Personal Injury Lawyers for Legal Assistance
If you’re struggling after an accident, you deserve to be fairly compensated for the significant impact that your injuries have had on your life. The experienced attorneys at George Salinas Injury Lawyers are here to fight for the compensation and justice you deserve. Contact us today to get started with a free case review.