People who suffer serious injuries often experience emotional distress. An accident can be a traumatic event, and for some, it can trigger anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other psychological or emotional effects. If you were in an accident caused by another party, you could pursue legal action and claim emotional distress, among other losses.
Ged Lawyers helps clients pursue their losses and hold the at-fault party accountable. Call us for a free consultation and learn how our Deerfield Beach personal injury lawyers can help your case.
Claiming Emotional Distress Damages After an Accident
When you’ve experienced an accident leading to serious injuries, the emotional and psychological impact can be significant. Emotional distress encompasses the mental and emotional suffering you endure following the accident. It can manifest in various ways, significantly impacting your daily life and overall well-being.
What is Emotional Distress?
Emotional distress refers to the psychological impact of a traumatic event or personal injury. Emotional distress involves the mental anguish and emotional suffering that can result from an accident or injury. The legal system recognizes this distress as a compensable loss that injured people can seek in personal injury cases.
Emotional distress can manifest in numerous forms, including but not limited to:
- Anxiety: Persistent worry, nervousness, or fear that interferes with daily activities.
- Depression: A debilitating condition characterized by profound sadness, loss of interest in activities, and a feeling of hopelessness.
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): A condition triggered by experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event, leading to severe anxiety, flashbacks, and persistent thoughts about the event.
- Sleep Disorders: Difficulties in falling or staying asleep, including insomnia, which can result from stress related to the accident.
Who Can Claim Emotional Distress Damages?
Claiming emotional distress damages requires demonstrating the impact the incident has had on your mental and emotional well-being. If you suffered physical harm due to an accident or negligent act, you could claim emotional distress damages. Our emotional distress lawyers can help you file a claim for mental anguish and long-term psychological effects.
However, emotional distress damages may not be limited to those who suffered physical injuries alone. While it may not be as straightforward as claiming emotional distress after suffering physical injuries, individuals who witness or experience a traumatic event, especially involving a loved one, may be able to claim emotional distress damages. For example, if you witnessed a loved one suffer catastrophic or fatal injuries in a car accident, you may be able to claim emotional distress.
Documentation from mental health professionals and other evidence can help substantiate these claims. Speak with a Deerfield Beach emotional distress attorney about your case and how to prove emotional distress in a personal injury case.
Recoverable Damages Include Non-economic Losses
Non-economic damages are crucial in personal injury lawsuits, offering compensation for losses not directly tied to financial expenses. Unlike economic damages, which cover financial costs like medical bills and lost wages, non-economic damages address the psychological or emotional effects of an injury. These include:
- Pain and Suffering: Physical discomfort and chronic pain stemming from the injury.
- Emotional Distress: Mental anguish, anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other psychological effects.
- Loss of Enjoyment of Life: Inability to engage in hobbies, activities, or other pleasures previously enjoyed.
Emotional distress is a significant component of non-economic damages, acknowledging the profound psychological impact an injury can have on an individual’s life. These damages recognize that the consequences of an accident extend beyond financial burdens, addressing the overall decrease in quality of life suffered by victims and their families.
Meanwhile, economic damages in personal injury cases are financial losses resulting from an injury. These include:
- Medical Expenses: Costs for emergency services, hospital stays, surgeries, medications, and ongoing treatments.
- Lost Wages: Income lost while recovering from injuries.
- Loss of Earning Capacity: Future earnings affected by the injury if it prevents you from working or forces you to accept a lower-paying position.
- Property Damage: Costs to repair or replace personal property damaged in the accident.
Economic damages aim to restore the injured party to the financial position they would have been in had the injury not occurred. It’s important not to settle too soon before fully understanding how your injuries affect your life. Our Deerfield Beach injury attorneys can help you identify all the economic and non-economic damages you may qualify to recover.
How Our Emotional Distress Lawyers Can Help
Our lawyers represent individuals injured in accidents caused by another party’s negligence. Client service is important to our team, and we aim to make the legal process as smooth as possible for our clients:
- No Fee Unless We Win: We operate on a contingency fee basis, meaning our clients don’t pay any attorney fees unless we secure compensation for their losses. We do not charge upfront attorney fees, making legal representation accessible to all.
- Exceptional Client Service: Our team is committed to providing personalized, attentive service to each client. Navigating legal processes is complex, and we strive to make the experience as seamless as possible. From the initial consultation to the resolution of your case, our focus is on providing clear communication, empathetic support, and legal guidance.
- Multi-Lingual: Our firm offers multi-lingual services to ensure that language barriers do not hinder access to legal services for people injured in Deerfield Beach. Our team speaks several languages, making the legal process more accessible.
- We Get Results: Our track record speaks for itself. We have a history of winning settlements and verdicts for our clients, demonstrating our ability to advocate on our clients’ behalf.
Call Today for a Free Consultation About Your Injury Case
Don’t let time run out on your right to pursue compensation for emotional distress and other injury-related losses. Florida’s two-year statute of limitations means you need to act fast. Call our law firm now for a free consultation to get started and learn how a Deerfield Beach emotional distress lawyer at our firm can help you.