Being struck by a car as a pedestrian can leave you with damaging psychological and physical effects. If you’ve experienced this situation, you know how agonizing these injuries are, coupled with the emotional trauma that comes with surviving a near-death experience.
Learn more about the strong emotional reactions associated with striking a pedestrian in today’s blog.
The Aftermath of Surviving an Accident
Depending on the severity of the pedestrian accident, the emotional impact may be as small as avoiding the road. Unfortunately, in more extreme circumstances, a victim may not want to leave their home because they’re too afraid to even walk on the sidewalk. Some of them may even feel too afraid to be near their car, causing triggers each time one drives by their home.
Being struck by a car can deteriorate your quality of life. Continue reading to understand the psychological effects of surviving this incident.
Intense Feelings of Anxiety
Experiencing moderate anxiety is normal from time to time, especially since most people experience anxious feelings daily. However, after suffering physical injuries from a pedestrian accident, you may feel heightened anxiety. Sadly, these bouts of anxiety can become so crippling that survivors often develop mild, moderate, or severe depression. Some survivors become unable to perform daily tasks they once enjoyed, and some even lose their jobs due to depersonalization.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychological disorder that can develop in individuals who have witnessed or survived a traumatic event, such as a natural disaster, serious accident, war, sexual assault, and more. Individuals with this disorder may be unable to finish basic tasks, such as keeping up with personal hygiene, paying bills, cooking, shopping, doing laundry, driving, or showing up to work.
Worst of all, a survivor of an accident may encounter triggers in their everyday life that remind them of the accident, bringing up feelings of hopelessness and panic. Moreover, PTSD can slow down a person’s rehabilitation process because there’s a correlation between emotional and physical health.
Survivor’s Guilt
Survivor’s guilt is a condition of persistent mental and emotional stress experienced by someone who has survived an incident in which others died. For instance, if a pedestrian was distracted while crossing the street and the driver of the car swerved out of the lane to avoid hitting them, resulting in death, then the pedestrian might feel responsible for their death. It’s essential to seek help from a psychiatrist after an accident so that you don’t develop this mindset, which can worsen if left untreated.
Misplaced Anger
Conversely, some people may feel angry at the driver and public safety officials after an accident. It’s justifiable to feel upset that your life has been disrupted if you’re unable to go back to your job for some time and can’t perform tasks, but you can’t let these feelings overcome you. Remember, there’s a relationship between emotional and physical health, and harboring resentment might slow down your recovery time.
Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton is Here for You
Surviving a car accident as a pedestrian can make you feel vulnerable, and it may take years to recover fully. If a negligent driver recently struck you, you should reach out to a personal injury attorney who can ensure you receive damages.
The experienced personal injury attorneys at Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton can ensure you receive compensation while you focus on healing. We have offices throughout Utah County and West Jordan.