Psychological injuries are very real. They can be long-lasting and painful. Post-traumatic stress disorder is the most common psychological injury associated with severe accidents, but insurance company adjusters may have trouble believing a claimant is actually experiencing this level of disabling trauma. Personal injury lawyers in Honolulu represent clients who deserve financial compensation for the trouble they are experiencing.
Skepticism by Insurance Adjusters
Insurance company adjusters and the company’s lawyers tend to view these claims skeptically and try to undermine any evidence of emotional trauma. They may not believe that the claim of PTSD is genuine, or they may believe the person is exaggerating. Some are skeptical about PTSD in general, except perhaps as related to military troops in combat. Yet, research confirms that this psychological trauma is relatively common after a serious vehicle accident.
Verification by Healthcare Professionals
Personal injury lawyers in Honolulu know how to prove that the client actually has this condition. Proof is required, but this is not always an easy task. PTSD is not an injury that is visible in the way a fracture appears on an X-ray or a soft tissue injury on an MRI.
Nevertheless, verification by a medical doctor or other qualified healthcare professional is the first step in demonstrating the client is not faking or exaggerating the problem. A psychiatrist or another mental health expert can be called on to provide a diagnosis.
Personal and Expert Witnesses
Witnesses may provide testimony in depositions confirming the symptoms that the person has been dealing with. If the individual has returned to work, for instance, colleagues may report unusual behavior like obvious anxiety or even panic attacks. The employee may be dozing off at work because insomnia has seriously interfered with their sleep. These are common signs of a PTSD disorder.
Even then, the insurance adjuster may insist that the condition is not real. Other expert witnesses may be asked to provide testimony in how often PTSD develops after the type of incident that affected the injured person. It is very difficult for an individual to accomplish all this without legal representation by a firm like Yoshida & Associates.
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