Public accident injuries can happen at any time and any place. This is what makes them so devastating. Usually, when people make a claim it’s because they have suffered from physical injuries. These are known as “general damages”. However, they don’t tend to think much about any other type of repercussions, including “special damages”. Did you know that 3 out of 4 people end up having mental issues because of their accident? It’s not surprising considering the type of trauma that they have experienced.
Not many people consider the mental impact that public accidents can have on a person. But Gowing Law certainly does. We want you to understand that we know the after-effects of a public accident. Whether you have suffered an injury from a work accident or perhaps a car accident on the road, we want to be able to help you through the hardest parts of your injury claim. Part of this assistance is ensuring that you look after your mental health during the recovery process. That’s why we would recommend not only checking your claim on our new form, but also downloading our helpful whitepaper below.
Why would I suffer from mental health problems after a public accident?
When we think about public accident injuries, we tend to think about life-changing wounds that could have a severe impact on someone’s daily routine. For instance, if someone has suffered from an accident on a construction site, they may have lost mobility in part of their body after using faulty equipment, or if they are doing repetitive tasks in their office then they may have repetitive strain injuries in their fingers, hands or wrists. Some injuries may appear minor but can still cause the victim to experience trauma that may make them feel anxious, nervous or paranoid about carrying on with their daily activities.
This is the true psychological effect of an accident on your mental health. Whilst the injury may be small, you certainly do not want to go through it again. That’s why you start putting up emotional barriers that can prevent you from going through the same experience again. Take a look at our case study below to get an idea of how this could happen:
What are the symptoms of mental health trauma?
When the National Accident Helpline conducted a survey of around 1,000 of their clients, they found that at least 7 out of 10 people who had experienced an accident through no fault of their own had experienced some symptoms of mental health trauma. The most common types of symptoms (reported by around 34-35% of those surveyed) were anxiety and stress. However, other trauma symptoms may include:
- Depression
- OCD
- PTSD
- Trichotillomania
- Self-harm
- Anger
- Problems with relationships
- Panic attacks
- Phobias
Experiencing trauma after any type of public accident injuries can leave you feeling like the world is not quite right. It can shake up how you view the world and also the dynamic of your household. It can also put you at odds with the people you love. After all, they don’t want to see you hurt, but you may feel as if they cannot understand everything that you have been through. Therefore, you may struggle with fits of rage or sadness. Either way, it is going to shake your mental health and may mean that you need some help to get yourself back on your feet.
The impact of mental health and public accident injuries
If you are suffering from public accident injuries from your accident, you cannot underestimate the effect that your mental health will have on your recovery. Most people make this mistake with public accident injuries and assume that they will be completely fine once they have been prescribed the appropriate treatment for their physical injuries. But mental health can have a bigger impact than most people would like to admit.
The best way of thinking about your mental health accident is that it is just like a broken bone that needs time to repair. It’s not going to be an instant fix. Instead, it may need proper treatment to address the issue. The same way that a broken bone may need a cast, you may require medication, counselling or specific therapies in order to slowly address your issues.
Have a look below to see some of the issues you may experience if you are recovering from a physical injury after a public accident.
These are only a few of the problems that could come about due to a public accident injury. That’s why you need to be prepared for how you are going to recover both mentally and physically. Look at it as a long trek not a quick walk. It’s going to take time and effort to eventually get to a stable point on the pathway, but overall it will be worth it.
Mental health and the workplace
Unless you are working remotely, you may find that your job adds to your stress. If you have recently been hurt in the workplace, don’t forget to check out our work accident interview series. This should give you some information on what you should claim for the case.
It’s important to realize that if you have suffered from a serious injury, and are also suffering from emotional damages, this could inhibit you from doing your normal job. In fact, you may start to struggle doing simple tasks due to your heightened emotions and the fear that the accident may happen again. If you have been sent home to recover, and are currently not getting SSP, you could claim for the wages you have lost, as well as any loss of opportunity.
Will I need evidence for my mental health claim?
Whilst you do need to relax in order to help with your recovery, if you want to make a mental health claim for your public accident injuries, you will be required to provide evidence. There are many different types of damages that you can claim for, including:
- Physical damages
- Emotional damages
- Equipment damages
- Loss of Opportunity
- Financial damages
- Medical fees
You cannot make a claim for emotional damages (aka. for your mental health claim) without there being evidence of a physical injury. So make sure that you have photos, videos, CCTV evidence, witness statements and receipts of treatment. If you want to combine this with emotional damages, you may also want to use witness statements and diary entries to prove that you are struggling on a day-to-day basis. You can also use medication receipts and reports to prove that you have been to a doctor about the issues. This will prove that they exist and you are suffering with them. It can also show that you have been forced to pay for treatment for them out of your own pocket.
How can Gowing Law Solicitors help with your recovery?
Mindfulness is extremely important when it comes to your recovery. That’s why we have created a whitepaper on how to look after yourself if you get hurt due to an accident that was out of your control. This can be a good starting point when it comes to understanding how you can relax and unwind so that the stress of the incident does not affect you as hard.
However, we can also help with the claim itself. It can be a bit of a hassle trying to recover whilst having an ongoing case for compensation. Not only can they get extremely complicated, especially if the other party refuses to accept a settlement agreement, but you may find that they have paperwork that requires a large amount of legal experience to fully understand. You shouldn’t be forced to endure this. That’s why having the help of a legal specialist will put you on the right track.
Not only that but Gowing Law can offer you the names of psychological and trauma specialists in your area that can help you get the help that you need. We can try and contact them for you on your behalf and let them know what sort of problems you are facing. That way you can get the help that you need when you need it most. Gowing Law Solicitors will be here to support you throughout your legal journey.
Will my mental health affect my claims case?
Now, normally for any sort of claims case you would find that there is a deadline that has been set for a settlement to be agreed in three years. However this can be changed depending on how bad your mental health is. For instance, if your accident has left you with severe mental health issues, you may find that the amount of time you have to sort the case out is extended. To get this extension, you will want the assistance of an experienced solicitor. That way they can write in to the courts and help you understand exactly how much time you get for your claim.
It’s important to remember that your mental health trauma is completely valid. If you are in need of help then you have the right to take it. We can make sure to help you get the best amount of time possible to ensure that the case is undertaken with the appropriate amount of time.
What should I do if the other party refuses to work with me on a settlement agreement
Not all cases are cut and dry. In fact, some public accident injuries may be so severe that your life is changed forever. Most of the time, the other party involved will be willing to work with you on a settlement agreement. However, in other cases you may find that they don’t. If this happens to you, you can work with your solicitor on collecting evidence and your medical records. If they still do not agree to work with you, you and your solicitor can take them to court. This is where a judge can decide on the amount you are owed. So, don’t worry, it will end up being sorted!
This is why it is always important to have a legal specialist on your side. They can help you fill out any tricky paper work help you avoid potential mistakes and make sure that your claim is handled with ease. Even if the other party refuses to work with you, they will make sure to handle all of the difficulties of the case on your behalf.
Contact Gowing Law Solicitors today for help with Public Accident Injuries!
Ready to get the help you need to claim a high amount of compensation? You didn’t deserve to get hurt. That’s why Gowing Law Solicitors will be here to make sure that you get the compensation that you deserve. We can offer you free advice and consultations to get started. If you are happy with our solicitors and their advice, you can work with them on a “no win, no fee” basis. That means there will be no hidden fees and you will always come out on top.
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Contact Gowing Law today by calling 0800 041 8350, emailing info@gowinglaw.co.uk or by using our contact page. One of our team members will then be in contact in order to help you with your claim.
Learn more about compensation claims for public accident injuries
Don’t worry! Gowing Law will always be here to help you with your claim. That’s why we keep our blog updated with the latest information about different types of compensation and UK legal policies. If you cannot find the blog you are looking for, why not let us know? We would be more than happy to write about your own suggestions! Send in your ideas to info@gowinglaw.co.uk. Our helpful content team would then be more than happy to write up a blog to help you understand the claim in more detail. We can also sign you up to our newsletter. Just let us know.
We look forward to seeing you in our next blog. Good luck with your claim!
