Unfortunate as it sounds, most of us are at risk of being involved in a motor vehicle accident at some point. Weather conditions and distractions could produce undesirable results no matter how cautious you are, how well you maintain your vehicle or the amount of focus you dedicate to the road.
Some people experience serious injuries during an accident, and far too many people lose their lives in collisions each year. If you’ve been involved in a fender bender, you probably think it wasn’t a big deal, outside of the cost of repairs and hassle with insurance. However, did you know it is possible to experience psychological effects because of a minor traffic incident?
Three risk factors you might consider after a car accident
Many fender benders go unreported, and those involved don’t always receive a psychological assessment. Therefore, it may be difficult to get an accurate statistic about the number of people who suffer from mental health disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after a crash.
Naturally, the severity of accidents and injuries can vary greatly. However, reports suggest that roughly 9% of people involved in car accidents develop PTSD.
You might be at an increased risk of developing PTSD if you:
- Lost someone in the accident
- Had psychological problems before the incident
- Experienced a strong emotional response to the collision
No matter the amount of damage or severity of injuries sustained, you might need a fair amount of support following an accident. Regardless of how serious you initially think an accident was, you might be able to hold another driver accountable for their negligence.
Just because you think you walked away from a crash unscathed doesn’t mean you won’t need help getting over it.
