When people think of accident injuries, physical harm, such as broken bones, bruises, or head trauma, usually comes to mind. But the effects of an accident often go beyond what you can see. Many victims suffer from psychological injuries that can be just as painful and long-lasting as any physical wound. Emotional trauma can change how you live, work, and interact with others, even after your body has healed.
If you’ve been in a car crash, workplace incident, or slip-and-fall accident, you might experience anxiety, depression, or fear long after the event. These mental and emotional effects can interfere with your ability to function day-to-day and might require professional treatment. Under Michigan law, psychological injuries are real and, in many cases, can be grounds for a legal claim.
Let our qualified Grand Haven personal injury attorney explain how psychological injuries are defined, diagnosed, and proven in the claims process so you can understand your rights and what steps to take after an accident.
What Counts as a Psychological Injury After an Accident?
A psychological injury, sometimes called mental pain or suffering, refers to the lasting emotional effects caused by a traumatic experience. After an accident, many victims develop serious mental health conditions that go beyond normal distress. These include:
- PTSD
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a condition where you relive the accident through flashbacks or avoid anything that reminds you of the event.
- Depression
Accidents can lead to feelings of hopelessness, loss of interest in activities, changes in sleep or appetite, and difficulty coping with everyday responsibilities.
- Anxiety
It’s normal to feel shaken after a crash, but constant worry, panic attacks, or fear tied to the incident might indicate something more than typical stress.
- Phobias
Some people develop intense, irrational fears related to the trauma, such as a fear of driving, crossing the street, or riding in a car.
It’s important to note that psychological injuries are different from general emotional distress. Normal distress refers to short-term fear, sadness, frustration, or upset feeling after a traumatic event that usually fades over time. Psychological harm, on the other hand, refers to conditions that are clinically diagnosed, persistent, and severe enough to disrupt your life. Such injuries often require therapy, medication, or long-term treatment.
Under Michigan law, emotional trauma can be part of a personal injury claim if you can show that the accident caused the psychological harm, and the condition affects your ability to function at work, home, or in daily life. Michigan courts allow victims to pursue compensation for therapy costs, lost income, reduced quality of life, and ongoing emotional suffering, especially when supported with credible medical evidence.
How Emotional Trauma Is Diagnosed and Documented
In a legal claim for psychological injury, expert witness testimony can help the insurance company, or, if necessary, the court, understand the seriousness of your condition. Mental health professionals, such as psychologists, psychiatrists, and licensed therapists, can evaluate your symptoms and provide a formal diagnosis. Psychiatrists, for example, can document how your emotional state impacts your ability to function.
Furthermore, it’s essential to keep thorough records, including documentation of therapy visits, treatment plans, or prescribed medication, diagnosis codes from health providers that confirm your mental health condition, and a journal of your emotional changes, sleep patterns, or panic episodes, to strengthen your personal injury case and show how the trauma has affected your daily life.
These pieces of evidence help establish both the existence and severity of your emotional trauma. Without them, insurance companies might minimize or even deny your psychological injury claim outright. A local Grand Haven personal injury attorney can work with medical experts to ensure all your evidence is properly presented, connecting your mental health struggles to the Michigan accident that caused them.
When Emotional Trauma Qualifies for Compensation in Michigan
Not every emotional trauma after an accident qualifies for legal compensation. Michigan courts and insurance adjusters look closely at how severe the trauma is, how long it lasts, and how it affects your daily life to determine whether it rises to the level of a compensable injury. The psychological harm must have a substantial impact on your mental health, work, relationships, or quality of life.
For example, suppose you’re working at a manufacturing plant when a heavy piece of equipment malfunctions and nearly crushes you. Although you escape with only minor physical injuries, you develop severe anxiety and panic attacks whenever you enter the plant. The sound of machinery triggers flashbacks, and your hands tremble during routine tasks. Eventually, you’re unable to perform your job safely because the fear becomes overwhelming. In that scenario, the workplace accident has caused long-term emotional trauma that interferes with your ability to work, making it a valid basis for a psychological injury claim.
In car accident cases, the Michigan no-fault law applies, and your own insurance company covers your medical expenses and wage loss, regardless of who caused the accident. However, if you’ve experienced significant psychological harm, you might have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault driver for non-economic damages, such as emotional distress or pain and suffering.
To pursue a claim for non-economic loss after a Michigan car accident, the victim must have suffered death, permanent serious disfigurement, or serious impairment of body function. Under the serious impairment of body function threshold, your injuries caused an objectively manifested impairment, affected an important body function, and altered your general ability to lead a normal life.
Protect Your Rights With a Michigan Personal Injury Attorney
Emotional trauma shouldn’t be dismissed as “all in your head.” If an accident has left you struggling with anxiety, depression, or PTSD, you have the right to seek justice and fair compensation. Let Shafer Swartz PLC help ensure your psychological injury is fully recognized and properly valued in your personal injury case.
Our experienced Grand Haven personal injury attorneys can guide you through your claim, work closely with experts to gather the evidence you need, and build a compelling case that reflects the full scope of your suffering. Contact us today at (231) 722-2444 or here to schedule a consultation and discuss your rights.