With motor vehicle accidents comes the expected problems: body damage to your car, possible need for chiropractic care... But what about pain and suffering? What does life look like after an injury from a car accident? Unfortunately, it can sometimes be full of discomfort, pain, and stress, including the onset of mental health symptoms from anxiety or depression. This is where a personal injury lawyer can help you get the support you need to recover after an accident.
After a car accident, there can be a variety of impacts that fall under pain and suffering. In short, pain and suffering can be classified as a disruption to daily life that makes things either difficult or physically impossible. Injuries often take time to treat and heal, and during that recovery period many aspects of life can be affected. Many people experience one or more of the following physical or emotional impacts while recovering from a car accident.
Inability to Work
Healing from an injury is often painful and disruptive, sometimes to the point where performing work tasks or even just focusing on work can be challenging. People struggling with trauma after an accident can often experience symptoms of depression and anxiety, which can affect motivation to work and ability to focus on tasks. In some cases, pain and suffering can be so great that people must take a medical leave from work, which they may or may not have the financial savings for.
Trouble in School
For those in school or in educational programs, learning can become difficult due to the duress from a physical injury. This is especially hard for people learning trades that require them to be physically active. Accidents can also sometimes induce PTSD which can greatly affect a person’s ability to learn because of the impact of trauma on brain functioning.
Lack of Interest in Hobbies
Many people enjoy hobbies both indoors and outdoors. Trying to recover from an injury may limit the physical ability a person has to actually participate in the activities they love. This can range from sports and fitness activities to sedentary ones depending on the type and severity of the injury. If signs of depression or anxiety have set in post-accident, this can also affect a person’s pleasure from the things they love and minimize their desire to even engage in their hobbies.
Sleep Problems
If you’ve ever been hurt in the past, you know how uncomfortable sleeping can be. In some cases, every twist and turn can jolt you from your rest and leave you wide awake for hours trying to get comfortable again. Additionally, after a traumatic experience, many people often have trouble sleeping due to anxious thoughts and even nightmares about the accident. Sleep deprivation can seriously affect a person’s health and abilities day to day, especially if over a prolonged period of time.
Disruption of Daily Living
Every day, people have tasks and chores they need to complete as part of their daily routine. When someone is healing from an injury, it can sometimes have detrimental effects on their ability to perform simple daily tasks, including cooking, cleaning, and even bathing or general hygiene. This in turn can deeply alter someone’s mental and emotional state because of how discouraging it can be to lose this kind of autonomy.
Seek Medical Attention
With so many areas that can be affected, it is critical to first take care of yourself by seeing a doctor after an accident. Most people do not realize the full impact of their injuries until days or even weeks later, or may even postpone a medical visit because they think they can tough it out. It is extremely important to get a medical evaluation right away to prevent any unseen injuries from worsening or developing over time. It also becomes much harder to prove these injuries were caused by the car accident if a medical visit is delayed weeks or months. By getting an evaluation right away, you can make sure you are taking your health into your hands and getting the evidence you need to rightly recover after an accident.
It is clear to see the impact of a car accident isn't just a daily complaint of back pain or headaches. It is a domino effect of things that now take a new toll because of your injury. Whether it is working comfortably, participating in recreational activities, or simply performing daily tasks, injuries can negatively affect someone’s ability to live happily and fully. If you have recently endured a car accident and are experiencing any of the effects of pain and suffering, call today to book a free consultation and learn how Hohaia Law can help you get your life back on track.
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