When taking legal action against someone whose negligence caused your accident, it is just as important to seek compensation for emotional distress as for physical or financial losses. Our lawyer in Estero can calculate your case’s worth and fight hard for that amount.
Emotional distress can have a significant impact on your life. You might avoid spending time with others or find it difficult to work. An Estero personal injury lawyer from Ged Lawyers wants to help you get the money that you need to help you live with—and recover from—your physical and mental injuries.
Emotional Distress: What It Is and What It Is Legally Worth
Emotional distress is a very broad term that can encompass many forms of psychological and mental harm stemming from a traumatic event. It can include:
- Feelings of fear and anxiety, including panic attacks
- A diagnosable mental illness, like post-traumatic stress disorder
- The worsening of a preexisting mental illness
- Trouble connecting with or trusting others
- Feeling “stuck in the moment,” or like you cannot stop thinking about the accident
What to Seek for Emotional Distress in Estero
There is no “standard” or “average” amount that you should ask for after suffering emotional distress. Instead, let our personal injury attorneys determine how much your case is worth based on:
- The severity of your symptoms and the effect they have on your life
- The cost of the treatment you need to heal from your injuries
- How long your doctor expects symptoms to last
Other Damages Available to Estero Residents
In addition to getting money for your emotional suffering, Ged Lawyers can help you pursue compensation for:
- Physical pain
- Loss of wages
- Medical expenses
- Property damage
Our Estero Team Can Seek Emotional Distress Damages for You
Suing for emotional distress can be very challenging. While physical injuries are often self-evident, and financial losses leave a paper trail (including receipts and bills), mental anguish tends to be less noticeable. This makes it harder to prove.
By no means, however, should you give up on your case. Ged Lawyers can help you build and manage your legal action by:
Investigating the Cause of Your Emotional Anguish
First, we will listen patiently and attentively as you tell us your story. Then, we can get to work on finding evidence that backs up your statements, including:
- Medical records and statements from doctors
- Police reports
- Testimony from your loved ones and accident witnesses
Taking Your Emotional Distress Case to the Liable Party
In most cases, the at-fault party’s insurer will cover your losses. Our emotional distress lawyers can:
- Speak with the insurer and see if they are willing to negotiate a settlement
- Present your case to the insurer and fight back against any attempts to reduce your settlement
- Let you know if and when the insurer offers a fair deal
- Prepare the settlement agreement and review it with you
If the responsible party is uninsured or underinsured, we can help you pursue compensation through other means (e.g., your own insurance).
Asking a Jury to Award Emotional Distress Damages
While we often try to get an out-of-court settlement, this is not always possible. In some cases, we have to take the liable party to court.
Some firms will not go to trial for their clients. Not only is our Estero emotional distress lawyer ready to represent you in the courtroom, we hold mock trials to ensure we are prepared for the defense’s arguments.
When to Sue for Emotional Distress in Estero
In Estero, you have two years from the accident date to begin a legal case, according to Florida Statutes § 95.11(4)(a).
Ged Lawyers works with emotional distress clients who were involved in all manner of accidents. We can collect evidence to prove the connection between your mental state and the following types of events:
Motor Vehicle Accidents and Emotional Distress
Car, truck, and pedestrian accidents can be challenging to cope with.
Boat crashes also count as motor vehicle accidents. Whether you were injured on the road or in the water, you can seek damages.
Wrongful Death Is Emotionally Devastating
Losing someone you care about is always upsetting, but it is especially so if the cause of death is a preventable, unexpected accident. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) lists losing a loved one in a traumatic event (as well as suffering “pain and injury” yourself) as a major risk factor for PTSD.
Faulty Products Cause Accidents and Emotional Pain
No matter what product a company makes, it is their responsibility to ensure that the product is safe and poses no risk to customers. Otherwise, you can file a product liability case against the manufacturer. That goes for:
- Motor vehicle parts (including children’s car seats)
- Furniture
- Toys
- Power tools
- Appliances
Medical Malpractice Can Lead to Psychological Suffering
You trusted your doctor to take care of you and to help you deal with a painful physical or mental problem. The violation of that trust and any injuries their negligence caused can be very hard to move on from.
All medical professionals owe you competent care, including:
- Primary care physicians
- Mental health specialists
- Surgeons
- Nurses
- Dentists
- Anesthesiologists
- Physician’s assistants
You Deserve Compensation for Emotional Distress
Psychological suffering can be among the hardest things to deal with after an accident. This is especially true if others do not take your pain seriously.
Our firm wants you to know that you are not alone. We know that you are struggling, and we want to do what we can to provide compassionate legal support whenever you want it.
Our Emotional Distress Lawyers Serve Estero
Ged Lawyers wants to ensure you get all the compensation you deserve after an accident. For more information on how our Estero emotional distress lawyer can be of service, call our firm today. We charge no upfront attorney’s fees, and the initial case assessment is free.
