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Being in a car accident can leave you with serious physical injuries, but it can also result in psychological scars that could impact you for the rest of your life. One possible outcome is developing vehophobia, or the fear of driving. Learn more about this condition, why some people may experience it after an accident, and whether you can file a claim.
Vehophobia is the intense fear of driving or even riding in a car as a passenger. It can develop after a traumatic experience, including being involved in an accident or witnessing one. Vehophobia can significantly impact daily life, leading people to experience panic attacks and preventing them from going to work.
If you have vehophobia, you can experience a number of symptoms when you attempt to drive or ride a car, including:
You may do everything you can to avoid being around cars, and you can experience feelings of helplessness, frustration, and shame. Even if you are able to get in the vehicle and start driving, it can be difficult to concentrate on the road because of intrusive thoughts. You can feel out of control.
Vehophobia can follow severe or even seemingly minor collisions. When you experience trauma, it’s possible for your brain to begin associating the surrounding objects or environment with the fear you experienced. Your body’s fight-or-flight response can play a role here, too.
In some cases, you can get trapped in this fear response, which makes it very difficult for the nervous system to calm down. You develop a general state of feeling unsafe, with cars triggering acute responses.
Trauma can also alter the amygdala, which is one of the parts of your brain responsible for your fear response. The amygdala can become more reactive as a result of trauma.
If you have been in a car accident and developed vehophobia, you may be entitled to file a personal injury claim to recover losses. Typically, these psychological wounds occur in people who experience catastrophic injuries or who are in very serious crashes, like rollover accidents, but a phobia can develop even in an apparently minor collision.
As with other types of personal injury claims, you will need to demonstrate that the other party owed you a duty of care that they failed to uphold. Then, you must establish that their conduct resulted in losses for which you can be compensated. In the case of vehophobia, you can be compensated if the issue has impacted your life and led to expenses like therapy sessions or medications.
These are not simple elements to establish when dealing with a psychological injury. To have a chance to recover losses, you’ll need assistance from an attorney.
Vehophobia can take a significant toll on your life. You may not be able to maintain your job or could struggle with family responsibilities. If another party’s misconduct resulted in this psychological injury, then Davis Law Group Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers can help.
Our Seattle car accident attorneys can assist you in understanding your rights and what compensation you may be able to receive. We can gather the right evidence to prove the accident resulted in this phobia and can negotiate with insurance companies for the compensation you deserve.
Contact us today for a free consultation.
If you’ve been injured in Seattle, WA, and need legal assistance, contact Davis Law Group Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers. Contact our legal team and schedule a free consultation with a car accident lawyer today. We proudly serve King County in Washington and its surrounding areas. Visit our law office at:
Davis Law Group Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers
2101 4th Ave 1030 Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 727 4000
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