Your post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may be invisible to the outside world, but it may be equally or more impactful than any kind of physical injury you might have incurred from your accident. But still, with the lack of visible proof, it may pose more of a challenge to claim and seek recovery for your PTSD and other experiences of emotional suffering. But still, it is not impossible. With that being said, please continue reading to learn how to prove PTSD in your claim proceedings and how an experienced Miami-Dade County injury lawyer at the Law Offices of Gonzalo Funes, PA can help you get a fair amount of compensation for it.
How do I prove PTSD in a personal injury claim?
Just like you would for a physical injury, you must prove your mental injury of PTSD through substantial medical evidence. For starters, you should schedule and attend appointments with a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist to get an official diagnosis of this mental health condition. To reach this diagnosis, your doctor may have conducted a series of psychological evaluations and other medical tests, and you now also have documentation of their results.
From here, you may ask your doctor or hire a medical expert to testify on your behalf in your personal injury claim proceedings. Here, they may explain to the Florida civil court how your PTSD translates into verifiable damages. Specifically, how it affects your ability to return to work, how it costs you a lot of money to treat, etc.
In addition to medical evidence, you may personalize your claim and request some of your loved ones to testify on your behalf. Here, they may touch on how your PTSD has caused non-economic damages. For example, how it has caused a strain on your relationships with them, how it has hindered you from participating in the activities you enjoyed most in life, etc.
What types of compensation can I recover for PTSD?
If you are claiming PTSD in your personal injury claim proceedings, you must establish a clear link between your accident and your mental health diagnosis. Then, you must demonstrate how your condition has caused you relevant economic, non-economic, and punitive damages. And so, with the right evidence, like the examples mentioned above, you may successfully recover the following types of compensation:
- Compensation for your incurred economic damages:
- The cost of your therapy sessions and other related medical bills.
- The cost of your lost wages or lost income due to an inability to work.
- Compensation for your incurred non-economic damages:
- The cost of your emotional distressing symptoms of PTSD.
- The cost of your diminished quality of life.
- Compensation for punitive damages:
- The cost of the defendant acting recklessly to cause you harm.
- The cost of the defendant intentionally hurting you in your accident.
To conclude, when it comes to your personal injury claim, you should not settle for anything less than spectacular legal representation. So please hire us to help with your claim proceedings. A skilled Miami-Dade County injury lawyer at the Law Offices of Gonzalo Funes, PA, looks forward to working with you.
