In addition to physical injuries resulting from a severe car accident, victims are at an increased risk of developing psychological problems, most commonly Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Post-traumatic stress disorder is a condition in which many car accident victims present symptoms. According to a study by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 39.2% of motor vehicle accident survivors develop PTSD. However, these symptoms can often be overlooked or go unreported by the victims and are untreated.
"Of all the lawyers I have met, this one is a true professional. This attorney goes against the biggest law firms and wins!"
Response from the owner:The compliment is much appreciated. Like every profession, it all starts with training our lawyers to be the best at every aspect of car accident cases. But the foundation of a great case is a great client. Thanks!
I'd say this lawyer is in the top three of the best you'll ever see. Add this attorney to the interview list if you ever get in an automobile accident. This Law Firm is on another level.
Response from the owner:Much appreciated. Techniques that an attorney or any professional uses are paramount for success. This is part of our lawyers training and preparation. It leads to success. Thank you!
People say this is the best car accident lawyer in St.Louis. Yep! Seeing this attorney in action is incredible.
Response from the owner:Great compliment. We work hard to be the best. Our lawyers also work very hard to help other lawyers in our profession. Not matter what, a cases is only as good as the client is. Thanks!
Response from the owner:Thanks! Referrals and recommendations from prior car accident clients is our #1 source of cases. People who grew to trust us send family and friends.
The Hoffman law firm is truly professional. After hiring them I was truly relieved and knew I was in good hands. Highly recommend!
Response from the owner:Being in good hands is important. Many lawyers take cases with little experience and little resources. Our firm specialized decades ago. We are focused exclusively on accident cases.
The lawyers on tv just dont compare for auto accident injury cases. Mr.Hoffmann is as good as they get.
Response from the owner:Thank you. The TV attorneys are just settlement mills. People are hiring a paralegal, not a lawyer. Our law firm is different. You are represented by an attorney and we do not have settlement quotas.
I would describe this lawyer as highly educated, sharp, and top of his game. Explains the car accident process and treatment options well. The lawyer said if they don’t pay you, we will have the jury take it from the insurance company. Great lawyer. Dynamic person.
Interviewed all the TV car accident lawyers and decided to call this law firm that had great reviews. So happy I did. What a difference!
Response from the owner:TV car accident lawyers are just mass production. This is not a good fit for litigated cases. Paralegals instead of lawyers. Monthly quotas for settlements. Car accident victims end up in a cattle call with the lawyers on TV.
Love my car accident lawyer. This law firm is a step above.
Response from the owner:Our lawyers train and track the best approaches on cases. Whether litigation in cases or the practicalities of certain treatment, the growth of our lawyers over time is paramount. Always staying ahead of and setting practice trends. Thank you.
Serious family member have a car accident injury? Look no further. This litigator is for real. Always two steps ahead of the other lawyer.
Response from the owner:This is a sad reality for car accident lawyers. The #1 passenger in an auto accident is a relative. Helping a family make it through this and putting the family back together is one of the most rewarding things I do as an automobile accident attorney.
This lawyer handles really big accident cases in St Louis. He is a lawyer, accountant and has his masters in tax so he gets the injury cases for individuals that can never go back to work or individuals own a business and cannot run it due to injury. He specializes in valuations of massive loss. Thank goodness a firm like this exists.
Response from the owner:Thank you. When accident are severe and you lose the ability to work or to continue a business, having an accounting and tax background is key. Valuing large losses are second nature for us.
Asked a trauma surgeon who operates on car accident victims who are the best injury lawyers that have taken his deposition. He said “by far” it was Mr Hoffmann. Interviewed several attorneys and this was a correct assessment. In a league of his own!
Response from the owner:Our attorney have deposed nearly all the trauma surgeons at every Level 1 Trauma Center in Saint Louis. These doctors save lives after a car accident. Whether controlling bleeding or reestablishing blood flow or bone structures, they are life savers.
Few lawyers in St. Louis can handle the biggest injury cases! This is one of them!
Response from the owner:Our law firm has made great efforts in terms of training to handle life changing injury cases. Whether in depth knowledge of the medical, loss of income and earning capacity, or lifetime medical care plans, our clients feel confident and know their case is in good hands. Thank you for the compliment.
Cannot say enough about this lawyer. Call if in an accident. This attorney handles the biggest car accidents in St Louis.
Response from the owner:Thanks Ash! Our biggest source of cases is our clients. Our second biggest referral source is defense lawyers telling their relatives to call us. Few lawyers can handle the largest cases. Our law firm welcomes and has trained for this. We don’t do mass production settlement like the lawyers on TV. Our clients can never go back to work. Their cases need massive focus and effort and often long fought litigation.
So glad I called attorney Hoffmann. This time I got it right! So glad I hired the Hoffmann Law Firm - professional, reliable and available.
Response from the owner:Thanks Taylor. Our lawyers answer the phone day, night, weekends and even during lunch. Being professional means training to beat the best defense lawyers. Client rely on us to get results and we do.
Great lawyer. Cares about his clients, knows his stuff and goes the extra mile. I recommend this lawyer for car wreck injury claim. Every other lawyer on TV would not even help with my property claim. This attorney did.
Response from the owner:Thank you for the kind words. Every case starts with a great client. You are correct the car accident lawyers on TV are mass production settlement mills. When injury clients fire them, we get their files and the cases are not worked up at all. Appreciate your confidence in us!
Major car accident injury in St Louis area for a family member. Four different lawyers we know said the same thing - call Chris Hoffmann. On another level.
Response from the owner:This is such a great compliment. Most of our cases come from prior client or lawyers that also do car accidents cases but the particular case is too large or too difficult. Being a lawyer and an accountant, we specialize in cases with total lost of income, earning capacity and/or often the inability to continue a family business. Evaluations such as these are second nature for our lawyers. Thanks.
This attorney is very smart, very experienced, returns phone calls and knows the answers when asked. One call and I knew this was a great law firm for auto accidents.
Response from the owner:Our law firm appreciates this. This is a comment we get from so many people who call…”none of the lawyers we called told me all the things that you did.” Whether we take a car accident case or not, helping people is a good thing.
5 Star Lawyer for sure! Best you will find in Saint Louis.
Response from the owner:Thanks for the 5 Star Rating. Reviews like this are great. Injury victims quickly figure out the TV advertisers are not good. We work hard at being the best we can be and it reflects in our representation of car accident victims.
Watch this lawyer in action. Was way better than all the others. Get this lawyer for an automobile accident for sure.
Response from the owner:Thanks for the recommendation. Besides doing cases, our attorneys train for this. Hard work, case knowledge and technique is key to success in car accident litigation.
Very pleased with The Hoffmann Law Firm. Lawyers are attentive, friendly and go the distance to force the settlement you want. The TV lawyers recommend low offers. This law firm gets the maximum.
Response from the owner:We get calls from car accident victims that had to fire the TV lawyers that they hired. They give the same two reasons: 1) they never spoke to a lawyer at the Big TV law firms, only a paralegal, and 2) the paralegal recommended they accept a low offer.
At our law firm, you only talk to the lawyer and if an offer is low we tell you to sue. Thanks!
Several lawyers said to call this lawyer because he is the best. You will appreciate this law firm. Helped with the injury and property claims. Attentive and knowledgeable. Great reputation in St Louis.
Response from the owner:Thanks Lexi. Our #1 source of cases is other lawyers referring us cases that are too big for them to handle.
Would use this accident law firm. Best in Saint Louis. Highly rated and it shows. After one phone call, you just know this attorney is better. 5 Stars!!
Response from the owner:Thanks for recommending our lawyers in St Louis. There is a major difference in lawyers as you well know.
Car accident lawyers on tv are not good . Get this attorney ! He is a pro !!
Response from the owner:Thanks Nathan. TV lawyers market for car accidents, use paralegals instead of lawyers and give their employees settlement quotas hence forcing cheap settlements. At our law firm, you get a lawyer who keeps pushing forward for more.
Quality lawyer. Best law firm for a car accident. Advice was way better than other lawyers I called in St. Louis. Helped with property and injury.
Response from the owner:Thanks. The TV lawyer advertisers are just car accident settlement mills. As soon as people call a real attorney, they always tell us how much better and more helpful we were. Appreciate this.
This lawyer is big time. Smooth. The other lawyers on the other side were not nearly as good as this attorney. I recommend friends in St Louis to him for accident injuries and they all say the same thing…”that lawyer is great.”
Response from the owner:Very nice of you to say. Our lawyers work hard on auto accident cases.
Family used this car accident attorney after a crash. Located in St Louis. This lawyer answers the phone and will walk you through the process. Knows his stuff!
Response from the owner:Taking calls, going over the car accident injury and property process is important. Clients that call always say we are the only lawyers that explained everything. Much appreciated.
Tried the lawyers on TV. They were not good. Hired this car accident lawyer instead because he had great reviews. The reviews are correct. This attorney is as good as they get. He does big injury cases that need to be litigated.
Response from the owner:Car accident lawyers on TV do not litigate cases. It is mass production. They have quotas. Local attorneys are best on auto accidents.
Used this attorney for an auto accident. Highly recommend this lawyer in St. Louis. Communicates well.
Response from the owner:Communicating with clients is essential. Taking the client though the car accident claims process is important otherwise major mistakes can occur. It is an effort that we make. Thanks!
Fantastic law firm, I would recommend! Received free consultation related to an auto accident when my parked car was damaged by a baseball. Very supportive advice, these guys are good!
PTSD is an anxiety disorder that commonly follows a traumatic event like the threat of severe injury or death to oneself or another person. When the brain cannot turn off fight or flight reactions and anxieties, the condition becomes disruptive to a person’s life, sometimes to an extraordinary degree that can be just as impactful as a physical injury.
Symptoms of PTSD
After an auto accident, symptoms of PTSD can be present as:
Persistent thoughts about the accident
Psychologically re-experiencing the accident
Feeling compelled to avoid activities that the brain associates with the accident.
A feeling of detachment or numbness or increased physical arousal that is disruptive.
Can You Get PTSD From a Minor Car Accident?
Anyone who has been involved in a traumatic event, such as a car accident, is at risk of suffering from PTSD. While severe accidents can be particularly traumatic, even seemingly “minor” car accidents can result in PTSD.
How can PTSD affect your life?
PTSD does not look the same for every person suffering from it. Some individuals may have bad dreams; some may have hallucinations; some may get crippling anxiety around crowds of people, while others have vivid, uncontrollable flashbacks which force them to relive the traumatic accident. In rare cases, the paranoid ideations people experience can cause people to want to hurt themselves.
Studies suggest that around 40 percent of people who suffer from a traumatic event develop PTSD symptoms, and about 6 percent of the population of the United States will have PTSD at some point in their life. Women have PTSD more often than men, and people who already suffer from depression are more likely to develop PTSD.
Treatment for PTSD After a Car Accident
Because PTSD can differ from patient to patient, doctors must tailor treatment to the individual. Treatments can include therapy and medication or a combination of the two. While some cases of PTSD can be resolved more quickly than others, it is not unusual for treatment to be ongoing and weeks, if not months.
What to do if you think you have PTSD
If you have been in a traumatic auto accident and believe you might have PTSD, you should speak with a medical professional as soon as possible. Updating your doctor about your psychological and emotional state is as important as informing them of your physical well-being. Additionally, if you eventually plan to seek compensation or file a lawsuit relating to the accident, all of your injuries must be well documented, including PTSD.
Can I Get Compensation for PTSD and Mental Health Issues Caused by a Car Accident?
Yes. Typically, compensation for PTSD and other mental health issues and trauma is awarded to you as part of your “general compensation” package after a car accident.
However, it can be more challenging to prove PTSD than a severe physical injury, such as a broken bone or whiplash. You must definitively prove your diagnosis, usually with the help of a mental health professional, and confirm that the PTSD was caused directly by the car accident.
Mental and psychological damage is more difficult to prove in a court of law, so you will benefit significantly from the help of an experienced St. Louis auto accident attorney to get the compensation you deserve.
Combining With a Physical Injury
PTSD often occurs in combination with a physical injury in a car accident. When this happens, the personal injury process may be more straightforward and increase your chances of successfully receiving damages for PTSD. You can still pursue benefits on the grounds of PTSD alone.
Medical Bills Related to PTSD
You cannot diagnose yourself with PTSD, at least not in the eyes of the law. The first expense you will accrue from PTSD is medical bills. The reason is that you must see a mental health professional to diagnose your issue, and then you will incur costs for treatment. This might mean medication and regular trips to a therapist, both of which are costly.
Lost Wages and PTSD
Your PTSD might get so severe that you cannot work. This effect is especially prevalent for people who work in the driving industry. A traumatic car accident might make you terrified of getting in a car again, decreasing your earning power. You can also lose wages in other sectors, as driving and other activities might trigger your symptoms.
Expert Witness Testimony
A factor you should consider when choosing a doctor is whether or not they are comfortable testifying on your behalf. You’ll need to prove your condition to the opposing party and, if required, to a judge in court. A written note might not be enough in these situations, so working with a mental health professional representing you in court as an expert witness is best.
PTSD & TBI
Car accidents are a common cause of traumatic brain injuries (TBI). The symptoms of TBI include irregular breathing, dizziness, lack of coordination, poor balance, and reduced endurance. A new study has shown that some signs may make it challenging to diagnose TBI, especially if the person has been through a traumatic event in the past. The study shows that symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and TBI could be similar. A traumatic brain injury can affect every aspect of a person’s life, including work, school, and relationships.
Overlapping Symptoms of PTSD and TBI
PTSD and TBI both affect the brain; however, one is a result of a traumatic injury, and the other is a result of a traumatic event. A recent study published in the Journal Psych Central has revealed some startling similarities between the symptoms of both PTSD and TBI. These symptoms include reckless or aggressive behavior and aggression.
The potential for confusion between the diagnoses is relatively high, especially if the person has suffered both a traumatic event and a traumatic injury. In such cases, doctors may misread the signs of a traumatic brain injury. When a person reports overlapping symptoms, it can lead to a misdiagnosis, and a doctor may provide the wrong type of treatment for the condition, leading to further complications.
TBI Patients at High Risk of PTSD
According to research, those who suffer from TBI are more likely to suffer from PTSD as well. TBI sufferers may not get a PTSD diagnosis when needed. This can lead to no treatment or the wrong treatment.
Why You Need to Be Careful
The unfortunate truth about PTSD is that it often takes months or years to develop. Furthermore, it might present itself early, but you could discount it as chronic anxiety and not realize it is a more severe condition until later. This is one of the primary dangers of PTSD because people often settle their cases before they ever start affecting them. The best defense against this issue is watching out for signs of the disorder and taking them seriously if they are present.
Seek Legal Help from a St. Louis Accident Lawyer
Physical pain and injuries are relatively easy to recognize and accept due to a car accident. Proving mental anxiety is complex and may require testimony from family and friends who knew the plaintiff before the event. Consult with a car accident attorney if someone you love has developed a significant change in behavior since their car accident. Post-traumatic stress disorder can be just as debilitating as a broken bone. The patient deserves to be treated for it, and the liable driver should be responsible for compensating for that.
There is a thin line that separates PTSD and TBI. Severe car accident victims can suffer traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. Getting the correct diagnosis is extremely important, not just to receive the proper treatment but also to make a compensation claim. Legal issues surrounding TBI and PTSD can be complex.
If you or your loved ones are experiencing significant psychological trauma after a severe car accident in St. Louis, get help from an experienced lawyer immediately. An experienced St. Louis car accident attorney can help you get the compensation you are legally entitled to and protect you from the insurance company’s tactics to minimize your claim.
Free Consultation with a St. Louis Car Accident Lawyer
Don’t talk to an insurance claims adjuster before speaking with The Hoffmann Law Firm, L.L.C. We can help you avoid making statements that may affect the outcome of your case. The consultation is free; you don’t pay unless we get you money!
