Experiencing an injury is stressful and many of our clients suffer with their mental health as a result. The accident itself is distressing, along with the experience of going to hospital. With certain injuries, day to day living can present many challenges. For many of the clients of our lawyers, the fact that the court system takes a long time adds to their stress. Many feel that it is a long time before they can put their injury behind them. Our personal injury solicitors, Niall, Helen and Emma, see these issues arising with all types of personal injury claims, but in particular, road accidents and accidents at work.
Our goal is to make things as easy as possible for you during this time. The first step in doing this is for us to be aware of your experience of your mental health after the accident. Our focus is on you as a person and our clients have consistently given us the feedback that they value our compassion and personal support. Your experience of an accident can be a vulnerable time in your life and it’s important that you have someone that you trust in your corner when you are looking for compensation. Often, when our clients are looking to find a solicitor, they will also seek help from a counsellor or other medical professionals when coming to terms with their injury. Our other important focus is to process your claim as quickly as possible, so that you can move on with your life and put your accident behind you.
In some cases, the accident can cause mental health difficulties that have a lasting effect on your life. In those cases, you may be entitled to monetary compensation for the psychological injury suffered as a result of the accident. This can include, for example, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression. The HSE explains that someone with PTSD often relives the traumatic event through nightmares and flashbacks. They may experience feelings of isolation, irritability and guilt. They may also have problems sleeping, such as insomnia, and find concentrating difficult. In some cases, our clients have suffered with psychological injuries where no physical injuries have been present.
These claims can be complex and it’s important that you have the best solicitor with the most appropriate experience acting for you. Sometimes, the mental health difficulties caused by an accident can be overlooked while you are coming to terms with a physical injury and they may not present straight away. It’s important that you keep track of how you are feeling after your accident and keep records of any treatment you receive in relation to your mental health. Claims of psychological illness can be difficult to prove and it’s important that you are able to show the full extent of your experience. As with any claim, there is a time limit on when you can claim compensation. Broadly, you must make a claim within two years of the accident. This can present difficulties in mental health cases as your symptoms may not appear immediately.
If you are suffering with your mental health after an accident, we recommend that you speak to your GP or avail of a support service like the Samaritans. If you would like to speak with our Personal Injury specialists Helen, Niall or Emma, give us a call or send us a message using the link at the top right of this page.
“Each time I met with my solicitor (or even spoke on the phone) I felt I had her undivided attention and support. She was very down to earth and easy to communicate with and I am extremely happy with the treatment my case was given.”
J.B. Co. Kildare
