Psychological Insight on Personal Injury Claimants of Traffic Accidents

by Christopher Hoffmann on Jan. 13, 2014

Accident & Injury Car Accident Accident & Injury  Personal Injury Accident & Injury  Wrongful Death 

Summary: Injuries sustained in car accidents are not just physical. Car accident victims may be entitled to compensation if an accident causes them psychological distress.

In states like Missouri, it is common for people to claim their rights suffering from personal injuries whether due to negligence of another person in a car accident or deliberate attack from a criminal. Most of the cases have been observed to be Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs). Some other injuries are caused at work, public places or some from medical negligence. It is the job of forensic psychologists to assess the mental stress and disorders the victims are going through. They give their opinion in following areas.

      Psychological disorders that results from an accident and its consequences in the form of physical damage, unemployment or anything else

         The effect of injuries on his ability to work

         Prediction of psychological disorders of the claimant

         Treatment of emotional and mental disorders

         Long term effects of accidents on physical and psychological abilities to work

         Liability (very rarely)

The claimant has to prove his case in the light of probabilities rather than any other significant evidence. In some cases, experts are able to give their suggestions and opinions unlike witnesses who provide information in the light of factual observations. The claimant could also accept the help of a personal injury attorney to defend his case in the light of law. 

Providing Diagnosis

The trauma of the claimant has to satisfy the criteria of PTSD to be recommended by an expert for psychological treatment.

There could be various psychological problems associated with claimants of RTAs like

         Travel phobia: being afraid to travel in car if he/she has been victim of car accident

         Frustration due to unemployment caused by physical disability

         Anxiety of future planning

         Inferiority complex

In order to give an accurate diagnosis, the psychologist will interview the claimant to judge the criteria of PTSD if he has to claim his personal injuries.

Prediction of Psychological Problems (Prognosis)

The expert psychologist has to predict the psychological and emotional anomalies in the claimant. Post-accident analysis may reveal that victim is still afraid from travelling in that specific vehicle or from taking that specific route on which the accident happen. In some cases, the victim always asks others to drive.

Recommendation for Treatment

The expert psychologist will present a detailed report whether the claimant requires the treatment to recover from the state of trauma or he is capable enough to set his emotions right by himself. The report will cover the satisfaction of PTSD criteria as well as prognosis of claimant.

St. Louis car accident lawyers

Your best chance at recovering compensation for any injuries sustained after an auto accident is by contacting an experienced St. Louis car accident lawyer. At The Hoffmann Law Firm, L.L.C. we have over 15 years of experience helping Missouri car accident victims recover financially after car accidents. To schedule a free consultation call our law office at (314) 361-4242 or contact us online.

Legal Articles Additional Disclaimer

Lawyer.com is not a law firm and does not offer legal advice. Content posted on Lawyer.com is the sole responsibility of the person from whom such content originated and is not reviewed or commented on by Lawyer.com. The application of law to any set of facts is a highly specialized skill, practiced by lawyers and often dependent on jurisdiction. Content on the site of a legal nature may or may not be accurate for a particular state or jurisdiction and may largely depend on specific circumstances surrounding individual cases, which may or may not be consistent with your circumstances or may no longer be up-to-date to the extent that laws have changed since posting. Legal articles therefore are for review as general research and for use in helping to gauge a lawyer's expertise on a matter. If you are seeking specific legal advice, Lawyer.com recommends that you contact a lawyer to review your specific issues. See Lawyer.com's full Terms of Use for more information.