Florida Car Accident Lawyer Blog
Being in a car accident is one of the most traumatic events in many people’s lives. In fact, for people outside the military, car accidents are a leading cause of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).
After a car collision, the first thing you’ll want to do is to take care of the medical and legal matters. Get checked out by a physician and get treatment for any injuries. Talk to a car accident attorney to seek fair compensation so you can replace lost income, pay for car repairs, pay your hospital bills, and more.
Eventually, though, as part of your healing process, you’ll need to get back behind the wheel. It’s very normal for people who have been in a car crash, especially a serious one, to feel anxiety and distress about driving again. Here’s how to get over the fear.
- Don’t rush it. As you heal, give yourself time. Don’t jump back into driving until you are physically healed enough and until you can focus fully on driving. If you need to, rely on carpooling, ride hailing services, taxis, or other options.
- Journal. Write down what happened in the accident and your own feelings about it. This isn’t for anyone else’s eyes. In fact, you might want to destroy the pages you write after you write them. The goal is to help you process your emotions, and journaling can help.
- Keep track of your symptoms. A journal is just for you but a separate journal of symptoms can be for your doctor, too. It can help you keep track of improvements you make in treatment. It can also help you notice if you’re still having trouble weeks or months after the accident and may need additional help.
- Seek help if you need it. If you’re struggling significantly or your distress and anxiety aren’t getting better, speak to a therapist or doctor. There are treatments that can help.
- Have a driving buddy. When you first start to drive again after an accident, ask a trusted friend or family member to come along the first few times as support. This can help make you feel calmer. And if you do panic or feel anxiety, your friend or family member is there to reassure you or even to take over driving.
- Start small. When you first start to drive, stick with short drives along quiet, familiar streets. As your confidence builds, you can then head out on longer drives.
- Do consider refreshing your driving skills. Even if the accident was caused by someone else, you can build confidence and reduce your risk of future collisions by getting some refresher classes, especially one-on-one with a professional interior who can give you constructive feedback. If you’ve never taken a defensive driving class, you might want to. It will teach you strategies for avoiding some crashes.
If you’ve been in a traffic crash and are wondering what to do, you may want to speak to a car accident attorney. Flaxman Law Group has conveniently located offices in Miami, Homestead, and Hollywood. Our team has more than 60 years of experience and we have a track record of wins, securing over $100 million for our clients in court wins and settlements.
We know being in a car accident can be distressing. It’s why we offer a free, no obligation consultation to anyone who has been injured in a car accident in South Florida. To schedule your free accident consultation, just call Flaxman Law Group at 866-352-9626 to speak to a live person or contact us online.