Inside the Issue:
- The Emotional Effects After a Car Accident
- What Life Care Planning Looks Like After an Accident
- Learn About Pamela’s Truck Accident Experience
The Emotional Effects After a Car Accident
Car accidents are, unfortunately, all too common in the fast-paced urban society of Denver. So common, in fact, that many motorists regard the occasional scrape as a routine annoyance, something to get past as quickly as possible. But a car accident can be a life-altering event, endangering not only your commute but your physical health and emotional well-being.
Even if the injuries involved seem minor, there are several steps you should take to protect yourself and boost the healing process in the aftermath of a car accident.
What to Do After a Car Accident Injury?
Assessing the Damage
Right after a car accident, you may be dealing with several matters at once: contacting police and insurance companies, exchanging information with the other driver, checking out the damage to the vehicles and arranging for alternate transportation. But don’t neglect the most important task of all.
If you or anyone else involved was injured, even if you just feel “shook up,” seek medical help immediately.
In many instances, paramedics will be summoned to the scene to examine accident victims. But even if the incident doesn’t result in an immediate trip to the emergency room, it makes sense to get a thorough physical exam within 72 hours of the accident.
There are several reasons for this. Some injuries, including whiplash, may not be apparent immediately after the accident and only manifest hours or days later. Identifying soft-tissue damage or other injuries early in the process can be a key to getting better sooner.
And a delay in seeking treatment can also influence how an insurance company evaluates your car accident claim down the line; early detection and treatment of injuries helps your case — and your body, too.
Don’t put off seeking medical treatment or physical therapy simply because you don’t have insurance or are hoping that the injuries will “take care of themselves.” A knowledgeable Denver personal injury attorney can advise you on how to obtain the treatment you need while your insurance claim is still pending.
Feeling Depressed After Car Accident
Even those who are conscientious about treating the physical impacts of a car accident may not be aware of the emotional impact.
Psychologically, trauma can affect people in very different ways. Some people experience little emotional distress, but others may be grappling with a range of symptoms, such as anxiety, insomnia, mood swings, and difficulty concentrating on routine tasks.
It’s not unusual for car accident victims to be anxious about driving again, or even about being on the road as a passenger. Flashbacks and nightmares about the crash are sometimes reported, too.
Research indicates that close to one in ten people involved in car crashes develop some symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a serious condition that may require professional therapy and medication. If you’re experiencing emotional distress or struggling with the aftermath of a car accident, seeking guidance from a Denver car accident lawyer can provide you with the legal support and resources you need to navigate the situation effectively.
How Long Does The Emotional Trauma Last After a Car Accident?
There are so many variables in dealing with emotional trauma that it’s impossible to predict how any particular individual will respond.
Some people work through the most common emotional after-effects of a car accident, such as a reluctance to get back behind the wheel, in six months to a year — but depending on the severity of the accident, the type of trauma and treatment involved, and other factors, it could take longer.
Battling Depression and Getting Your Life Back
Another common psychological response to a traumatic event such as a car accident is depression — not simply being sad about the financial or physical damage involved, but overwhelmed by feelings of anger, helplessness, brooding over the accident, and so on.
If you’re feeling depressed, listless, or emotionally incapacitated, it’s important to not hide your condition but seek out mental health professionals who can evaluate and help you.
Most of all, it’s important not to isolate yourself after a car accident. Talk to loved ones about what you’re going through. Make efforts to exercise, take care of yourself, and get back to activities you enjoy. Don’t let phobias or stress from the accident limit your ability to live your life in a healthy, productive way.
Experts say that if you focus on the healing process, the trauma should recede in time.
What Life Care Planning Looks Like After an Accident
An accident can alter the course of your life. You might suffer serious injuries that necessitate long-term medical care, physical therapy, and counseling. Moreover, your ability to work may be significantly impacted, forcing you to change your job or stop working altogether. In this situation, a trusted Denver accident lawyer can be a powerful ally.
When an accident upends your daily existence, Frank Azar Car & Truck Accident Lawyers can help you seek comprehensive compensation to meet your evolving needs.
What Is a Life Care Plan?
A life care plan is a detailed set of treatment guidelines, projected expenses, and related considerations that helps your loved ones and those providing professional care identify your medical and financial needs. It’s tailored to your situation and reflects the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment plan for your injuries.
Who Are Life Care Planners?
Life care planners can vary depending on the situation. For example, if you suffer a catastrophic injury that prevents you from meeting your day-to-day needs, your primary caretaker may help prepare your plan.
The following professionals might participate in the drafting and execution of your life care plan:
- Family members
- Doctors
- Nurses
- Caretakers
- Physical therapists
- Occupational therapists
- Mental health counselors
Depending on your circumstances, other professionals may also participate. For instance, your accountant or financial advisor might provide input regarding your economic resources, ongoing financial commitments, and cost projections following an accident involving a commercial truck.
When you work with a Denver truck accident or car accident lawyer from our firm, you’re working with a partner who understands the costs you may be facing. Part of our role as your advocate is to help you plan for the future.
What Should You Include in Your Post-Accident Life Care Plan?
A post-accident life care plan is like a road map for your long-term care. It will start with your diagnosis and current prognosis from your medical team. This information can then be used to prepare a plan that includes the following components:
Medical and Care Requirements
The heart of your plan is your current and future medical needs. It should include everything pertaining to the treatment plan your doctor and their team have put into place, such as:
- Treatments
- Surgeries and other procedures
- Prescription and over-the-counter medications
- Testing and monitoring
- Medical equipment, prostheses, and similar supplies
You’ll also likely have rehabilitation and therapy needs that may go beyond the time frame for your medical care. Your plan should include any therapy you anticipate, including:
- Physical therapy to preserve or expand your physical functions
- Mental health counseling to treat depression, anxiety, or PTSD stemming from your injuries
- Vocational therapy to regain job-related knowledge and skills
- Occupational therapy to recover the abilities of self-care and independent living, if possible
At this point, you should focus on the care your doctor recommends or prescribes without worrying about the expenses associated with those needs. The financial part of the plan will come later.
Living Needs
You should also include a list of your requirements for daily life. For instance, you may need to modify your home to accommodate certain disabilities. Similarly, you may require a new vehicle or modifications to your existing vehicle so you can use it with your physical limitations.
If you’re unable to care for yourself, you should document your short- and long-term care needs. These may include a caretaker who makes periodic in-home visits or the intensive assistance provided by a residential rehab or nursing facility.
Vocational Assessment
Your plan should feature a description of your prospects for working and earning money. If you’ve seen a vocational rehabilitation expert, incorporate the assessment that describes your work limitations, the accommodations you require to return to your old job, or the training you need for a new job. If you cannot work, the plan should state that.
You’ll also need to project your earning capacity based on the aforementioned assessment. Describing your earning capacity will present a clear picture of your unmet financial needs for the personal injury lawyer handling your case.
Lifetime Cost Projection
The life care plan should contain a projection of the costs associated with your medical and care requirements, which should be calculated over your expected lifetime based on your prognosis. These costs should be presented as a present value based on the time and expected inflation rate.
Additional Elements
Other documents, statements, or information relevant to your long-term planning may also be necessary. For example, your plan should mention any required assistance, such as transportation, from family members who won’t receive compensation. This will help you assess the needs that might go unmet if something happens to your loved one.
You may also include any documents, records, and expert opinions used to prepare your plan. This documentation will enable you to update your plan as your health and medical needs evolve.
How We Determine the Value of a Life Care Plan for Injury Victims
Our Denver truck accident attorneys work with professional life care planners to review your plan and use it in your case. We may also call these planners to testify in your case to help the jury understand your economic losses.
To provide admissible testimony, the life care planner will base the value of your plan on solid evidence, such as medical bills and medical opinion letters, rather than speculation.
Additionally, the planner may interview you, visit your home, or talk to your doctor or therapists. With the information they gather, they can provide a sound opinion about the value of your life care plan when called to testify by an injury lawyer from Frank Azar Car & Truck Wreck Lawyers.
Who Benefits Most From Life Care Plans?
For the most part, life care plans are intended for the victims of life-changing injuries. Catastrophic injuries like paralysis, traumatic brain injuries, and third-degree burns typically require ongoing or lifelong treatment, care, and therapy. People with these injuries need a comprehensive plan to ensure that their needs are met. Their families can also benefit from life care planning. These plans can provide a path forward and reduce some of the stress that comes with such an unexpected change.
Life Care Planning After a Work Injury
A life care plan can benefit you whether you were injured in a car crash or a workplace accident. However, workers’ compensation cases are handled differently from personal injury cases. Consequently, a car accident lawyer would use your life care plan differently from a workers’ comp lawyer.
Learn About Pamela’s Truck Accident Experience
THE CAR ACCIDENT ATTORNEYS AT FDAZAR
For nearly forty years, the attorneys at Frank Azar Car & Truck Wreck Lawyers have helped thousands of injured people obtain complete and timely compensation for their losses. Our proven track record and expertise have allowed us to grow into the largest personal-injury law firm in Colorado, with offices in Aurora, Boulder, Brighton, Cheyenne, Colorado Springs, Denver, Fort Collins, Glenwood Springs, Grand Junction, Greeley, Lakewood, Littleton, Longmont, Loveland, Pueblo, and Thornton. If you’ve been injured in a bus, car, rideshare, truck, bicycle, or motorcycle accident, you may be entitled to compensation. Please call the car accident attorneys at FDAzar day or night at 720-707-2143 or contact us here for a free, no-obligation consultation and evaluation of your case.
