How Emotional Distress Factors into Your Injury Claim

When it comes to personal injury claims, it goes beyond just physical harm. Distress also factors in your injury claim. There are two types of distresses: emotional distress and physical distress. Terms like “pain and suffering” identifies emotional distress; whereas, the injuries and bruises on your skin are considered physical distress. 

Emotional distress plays as much role as your physical injuries, and it needs to be compensated. Emotional distress adds a lot to your personal injury. If you lose your loved one because of someone else’s mistake, it might take you months or even years to recover from the loss.

Emotional distress, anxiety, and trauma can impede a person’s healing from physical injuries. Therefore, emotional distress plays a pivotal role in one’s personal injury claim and should be compensated. If you got into a car accident and suffered from severe trauma, you deserve to be compensated. 

However, most insurance companies are reluctant and hesitant to compensate for emotional distress because the pain, of course, is not measurable. Anything that can’t be scaled can be challenging to be compensated for. Given the unique case of emotional distress, the insurance companies only give you a small amount of money as compensation. 

However, a competent personal injury lawyer from Richmond can help you get your due compensation from the insurance company, depending on the severity and the time-length of your injury.  Why Richmond personal injury lawyers? Because Richmond, Virginia, is home to the best law firms out there. A Richmond personal injury lawyer should be your best bet. 

Accidents That Cause Personal Injuries

Now, how does one get compensated depending on the length of the injury? Well, there are various types of personal damages that result in emotional distress. Some of the most common are as follows:

1. Car accidents
2. Bike accidents
3. Truck crashes
4. Pedestrian Injuries
5. Slip-and-fall injuries
6. Wrongful death

Depending on what caused your personal injuries, your Richmond personal injury lawyer will examine your case, your medical history, and a timeline of your recovery. Moreover, your lawyer will also investigate to determine which party is at fault in your case. 

Evidence You Need to Prove Your Personal Injury and Emotional Distress Claim

If you are hiring a Richmond personal injury lawyer, you need to have some evidence that your personal injury lawyer may ask to process and further investigate your case. Here is the list of documents that are usually required:

1. Statements from any witnesses
2. Any evidence on the crash site such as photos, videos, etc.
3. Police reports from the accident scene
4. Medical report of your injuries from your doctor
5. A detailed documentation briefing how the event has affected your life and personal well-being

Types of Emotional Distress

Enlisted below are various types of emotional distress. Some of them are commonly found in people who have suffered personal injuries.

1. Sleeplessness; difficulty in sleeping
2. Varying eating patterns and weight fluctuations
3. Short-temperament; intense behavior
4. Obsessive Behavior
5. Always tired and gloomy
6. Anxious
7. Stressed out
8. Chronic Fatigue; Lack of Energy
9. Overthinking

There are several other types of emotional distress, but these are the most common ones. These conditions are likely to impede your personal injuries from recovering at a healthy pace. In such a case, your compensation is also increased if you have a competent personal injury lawyer.