Accident Trauma - The Hidden Damage
If you have been injured in an accident, it is not uncommon, after being in pain and restricted in your activities for weeks or months, to feel a bit depressed and anxious. It is also true that people become depressed and anxious all the time without having been involved in a crash.
At Metcalfes, specialist personal injury lawyers Kay McCluskey and Steve Duddell have experience of victims of injury who have endured not only the physical effects of an injury but also psychological consequences for which we have been able to achieve quite high levels of compensation.
Whilst broken bones and stretched ligaments can heal quite quickly, the psychological effects of an injury can go undetected and therefore untreated.
Some people are, of course, traumatised by the accident itself and will suffer flashbacks and other symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Specialist treatment is needed such as CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) to help with these effects and often an insurance company will pay for this treatment to ensure that a victim is back to normal as soon as possible.
Depression and anxiety can creep up on you and steadily grow and deepen in severity without anyone really being conscious of what is happening. Many people are reluctant to go to their doctors in these circumstances and at some law firms, victims of injury do not get the chance to meet their lawyer, so there is nobody to spot what is happening and to ensure that the symptoms are not only treated but are compensated.
At Metcalfes, we ensure that we meet all our personal injury clients so that we get to know the whole person and what motivates and affects them. Damages are not just paid for pain and discomfort; damages are paid for suffering and loss of amenity and it is the loss of a "normal" way of life, the changes in routine, the financial worries, the lack of sleep; things that do not show up on a questionnaire sent out in the first week of the case, that can be indicators of growing depression or anxiety states.
If your lawyer is not asking you about the effect of the injuries upon you as a person and upon your life and if you have not met your lawyer and been able to describe how you are feeling since you have been injured, you may not be with the right lawyer.
At Metcalfes, we have achieved damages in six figure sums for the psychological effects of relatively minor physical injuries. If an accident or the negligence of another person has caused the problem then it should be the subject of compensation.
For free initial advice or to transfer your claim, contact Kay McCluskey on kmccluskey@metcalfes.co.uk or by telephone on 0117 9453020. Remember, it costs you nothing to have this personal service as claims are conducted under "no win, no fee" agreements and/or insurance. You receive 100% compensation.
Contact
Kay McCluskey Head of Personal Injury
Steve Duddell Partner
Nikki Taylor Trainee Legal Executive
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