Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Michigan personal injury lawyers frequently represent clients who have suffered post-traumatic stress disorders. A detailed knowledge and understanding of those injuries, their treatment, and their affect on the client is essential to achieving the best possible settlement for the injured client.

Post-traumatic stress disorders arise from traumatic events, such as a car accident, motorcycle accident, slip and fall accident, bicycle accident, or recreational injury. Depending on the cause of the injury, injured persons may have legal rights to be compensated for their injury, including money damages for pain and suffering, disability, medical bills, and lost wages.

Post-traumatic stress disorder is defined in terms of the trauma itself and the person's response to the trauma. Trauma occurs when a person has experienced, witnessed, or been confronted with a terrible event that is an actual occurrence. Alternatively, the person may have been threatened with a terrible event, perhaps injury (physical or psychological) or death to themselves or others. Then, the person's response to the event or to the threat involves intense fear, helplessness, and/or horror.

It is important to note, however, that having strong reactions to trauma is normal. What's more, there is a range (spectrum) of expected reactions depending on a person's prior exposure to trauma and even on hereditary (genetic) factors. Most importantly, you should understand that there are efficient and effective treatments for PTSD.

In general, post-traumatic stress disorder can be seen as an overwhelming of the body's normal psychological defenses against stress. Thus, after the trauma, there is abnormal function (dysfunction) of the normal defense systems, which results in certain symptoms.

The symptoms are produced in three different ways.

First, symptoms can be produced by re-experiencing the trauma, whereby the individual can have distressing recollections of the trauma. Furthermore, external cues in the environment may remind the patient of the event. As a result, the psychological distress of the exposure to trauma is reactivated (brought back) by internal thoughts, memories, and even fantasies. Persons also can experience physical reactions to stress, such as sweating and rapid heart rate. The patient's posttraumatic symptoms can be identical to those symptoms experienced when the actual trauma was occurring.

The second way that symptoms are produced is by persistent avoidance. The avoidance refers to the person's efforts to avoid trauma-related thoughts or feelings and activities or situations that may trigger memories of the trauma. This so-called psychogenic (emotionally caused) amnesia (loss of memory) for the event can lead to a variety of reactions. The patient may develop a diminished interest in activities that used to give pleasure, detachment from other people, restricted range of feelings, and a sad affect that leads to the view that the future will be shortened.

The third way that symptoms are produced is by an increased state of arousal of the affected person. These arousal symptoms include sleep disturbances, irritability, outbursts of anger, difficulty concentrating, increased vigilance, and an exaggerated startle response when shocked.

Persons who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorders often should receive psychological and psychiatric treatment. Medications many times are effectively used to alleviate the symptoms from these disorders.

Do I have a post-traumatic stress disorder case?

1-800-606-1717

Contact a Southfield, Michigan, post-traumatic stress disorder attorney serving the greater Detroit area.

If you were injured in an accident, you should contact our firm immediately.

Do I have an accident case?

1-800-606-1717

We represent Michigan personal injury clients in Detroit, Southfield, Pontiac, Troy, Warren, Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Lansing, East Lansing, Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, Bloomfield Hills, West Bloomfield, Farmington Hills, Rochester, Auburn Hills, Clarkston, Birmingham, Ferndale, Flint, Novi, Pontiac, Troy, Saginaw, Sterling Heights, Waterford, Wayne, Dearborn, Westland, Canton, Monroe, Ann Arbor, Mount Clemens, Livonia, Grayling, Grosse Pointe, St. Clair Shores, Brighton, Adrian, Allen Park, Clinton, Hamtramck, Northville, Garden City, Southgate, Harrison, Holland, Inkster, Allen Park, Belleville, Jackson, Madison Heights, Mount Pleasant, Oak Park, Okemos, Plymouth, Redford, Roseville, Romulus, Taylor, Wyandotte, Wyoming, Traverse City, Ypsilanti, Bad Axe, Northern Michigan, as well as residents of Wayne County, Kent County, Oakland County, Macomb County, Washtenaw County, Genesee County, Huron County, St. Clair County, Monroe County, Ingham County, Saginaw County, Livingston County, Lenawee County and all other Michigan counties.

Call now to speak with one of our lawyers
1-800-606-1717

Click Here To Contact Us

Personal Injury Case Results

• $3,750,000-Michigan medical malpractice settlement against Ann Arbor hospital
• $1,950,000-Detroit cerebral palsy settlement against hospital
• $1,800,000-Detroit truck accident settlement for traumatic brain injury victim
• $1,600,000-Michigan Wrongful death settlement for truck/pedestrian accident
• $1,425,000- Detroit slip and fall settlement for closed head injury victim
• $1,400,000-Michigan child lead poisoning settlement
• $1,375,000-Detroit car accident settlement for spinal cord injury victim
• $1,100,000-Detroit Motorcycle accident settlement against trucking company
• $675,000-Flint truck accident settlement for orthopedic injuries
• $625,000-Michigan medical malpractice settlement for the wrongful death against a Pontiac hospital
• $375,000-Lansing Auto No-Fault Insurance Settlement
• $225,000-Dog bite to child’s face in Warren

See More Results