Why Post-Accident Stress Shouldn't Be Ignored: A Health-First Approach

Want to protect your health… AND your legal rights after an accident?

When you're involved in a car crash, your first instinct is usually to check for vehicle damage and call your insurance company. But there's something far more serious people tend to overlook…

Post-accident stress.

Stress can impact your sleep, focus, and even your ability to preserve evidence for a legal claim. If left unchecked, your stress will only compound as time goes on.

Luckily, by taking a health-first approach to your recovery, you can protect both.

Here's what you need to know:

• How stress affects your health
• The importance of preserving evidence (and how stress affects that)
• Why mental health plays a bigger role in your claim than you might realize
• Steps to take to protect yourself after a crash

Think Taking Care of Your Mental Health Helps Your Legal Claim? Think Again

If you've ever been in a car accident, you know how trying to handle the aftermath can really amp up your stress levels. But here's the thing most people don't realize…

Your mental health is affected by the crash itself.

Car accidents can cause serious and long-lasting psychological damage. From difficulty concentrating and sleep problems to full-blown PTSD, post-crash stress disorders are common.

Preserving car accident evidence starts at the scene of the crash. But stress plays a larger role in that process than most people realize.

That's why it's critical to consult an auto accident lawyer as soon as possible. Having someone on your side who can help preserve evidence while you focus on your health makes all the difference.

In fact, studies show roughly 1 in 4 car accident survivors suffer from PTSD. That's a lot of people going around with preventable, untreated injuries.

Common symptoms of post-crash stress include:

• Flashbacks
• Trouble sleeping/concentrating
• Anxiety about riding in vehicles
• Irritability

Sure, these symptoms aren't "life-threatening". But they can make your day-to-day life a nightmare. They'll damage relationships and cause major issues down the road if you decide to pursue a legal claim.

The scary part is that most people dismiss these symptoms as normal and never get help.

Car Accident Evidence Preservation Depends on Your Mental Health

Remember how important preserving evidence is?

Let's dig a little deeper…

Collecting and preserving evidence after a crash requires focus and attention to detail. But if you're overcome with post-crash stress, you'll have a hard time doing those things.

Let's look at a few examples.

Photographs of the scene. Physical damage to vehicles. Witness information. Medical records. Police reports. Damage surveys. Black box data. Video footage.

Chances are, when you got into your accident, there was surveillance footage of the crash happening all around you. But that video is probably gone now.

Here's how quickly…

• 24 hours for most restaurant systems
• 48 hours for office building systems
• 72 hours for street cameras

Stress can cause you to:

• Forget to take photos
• Skip that follow-up doctor's appointment
• Lose important paperwork
• Miss deadlines

Without intentional evidence preservation, pieces of your case will fall through the cracks… Never to be recovered again.

This is exactly why a health-first approach matters so much. Physical and mental health have a direct impact on the ability to preserve that evidence.

How Mental Health Ties into Your Injury Claim

There's one more thing worth mentioning about preserving evidence…

Medical records related to mental health injuries are evidence too.

When you seek professional help for post-crash PTSD, anxiety, depression or other stress-related conditions, those records become part of your claim.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, PTSD symptoms usually start within three months of the traumatic event. But they can develop months or even years later.

The earlier you get checked out, the stronger your medical timeline will be. This creates a clear connection between your psychological injuries and the crash.

Why does this matter?

Insurance companies look for reasons to delay or deny claims. If there's a gap in your medical records between the date of the crash and when you first seek treatment, they'll use that against you.

As mentioned earlier, stress can cause you to miss that all important follow-up doctor's appointment. This is what that looks like in practice.

It's not just about preserving the "scene of the crash".

Preserving evidence means protecting your medical records, documentation of your mental health injuries, and any electronic data that can be recovered from the vehicles involved.

How to Take Care of Yourself After a Car Crash

You might be thinking to yourself…

"This is great and all, but what should I actually be doing?"

Not much really! You just have to…

Take care of your health and preserve evidence from day one.

Here's a breakdown:

• Seek medical treatment – call your doctor and see about setting up an appointment. This includes mental health treatment as well.
• Document, document, document. Again, this starts at the scene of the crash. Take photos. Save receipts. Jot down your recollection of events. Keep a journal of your symptoms.
• Contact a lawyer. Preservation letters can be sent to insurance companies (on your behalf) to prevent evidence from being destroyed. A lawyer can also help track down that all-important video footage.
• Don't neglect your mental health. Seek out counseling, therapy, or even just a quick check-up with your doctor. Taking care of your mental health will help with your physical recovery, too.

Car insurance companies have entire teams of people whose job is to go through your phone and dig up whatever they can to weaken your claim. Having a great process for preserving evidence from day one only puts you in a stronger position.

Post-Accident Stress – Bringing It All Together

Dealing with car accident injuries is stressful enough on its own. Stressing about your legal claim on top of that is the last thing anyone should have to worry about.

Post-accident stress disorders are very common and impact way more people than you think. If left untreated, that stress can cause you to lose out on evidence critical to your claim.

Seeking mental health treatment and preserving evidence from day one work hand in hand. You're taking care of your well-being while also protecting your legal rights.

Remember…

• Post-accident stress is more common than you think
• Leaving your stress untreated can cause you to lose evidence
• Mental health records are evidence, too
• Taking care of both from day one is your best bet

Preserving evidence shouldn't just be something you think about after a crash. Treating your mental health should be too.