Car crashes are part of the social cost of individual transportation. Drivers never know when someone else might run a red light or fail to monitor traffic conditions. If a collision occurs, the consequences could change people’s lives.
Typically, those involved in car crashes can hold the party at fault for the crash accountable for their losses. The expenses generated by a car crash may include medical bills and property damage losses. Most people understand that they can ask for compensation for hospital bills and the cost of replacing their vehicles. However, physical injuries are not the only risk after a motor vehicle collision. People may experience mental health consequences after a wreck.
Is it possible to sue another driver to seek compensation for emotional distress after a car crash?
Those with injuries may have grounds for a lawsuit
Georgia does allow for compensation requests based on the emotional damage caused by a collision. If the aftermath of a crash affects a person’s happiness or peace, they may be able to request compensation.
However, to pursue such a claim, people generally need to have suffered a physical injury. The mental trauma that comes from sustaining severe injuries or fearing for one’s life could require extensive treatment to address. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are common in cases where people witness another person dying or fear for their own safety in a car crash scenario.
Those involved in violent collisions could also develop symptoms of anxiety and depression. They might become fearful of traveling in vehicles after the wreck. They may also experience social withdrawal, as they may struggle to connect with others in the wake of what they experienced.
Any of those forms of emotional distress could potentially add to the total amount of compensation sought in a car crash personal injury lawsuit. People can request compensation for the economic impact of their emotional suffering, including the estimated cost to treat the symptoms they developed, as well as the non-economic impact of their emotional distress.
Car crash lawsuits are often necessary when collisions cause extensive injuries and significant expenses beyond what basic insurance can cover. Reviewing what happened during a car crash with a skilled legal team – in addition to reviewing the aftermath it caused for those involved – may lead to a more effective compensation claim after a collision.