The Emotional and Financial Toll of Truck Accidents: Support for Victims in Tallahassee

It can be hard to fathom unless you’ve lived through it yourself. The emotional trauma of an accident involving a tractor-trailer or other truck can be an experience that is re-lived in nightmares that never seem to end. Victims can be unable to drive or even set foot in a vehicle again. They often cannot focus on work or other aspects of daily life because of the devastating emotional impact of a truck accident.

The financial impact is usually just as devastating but in a different way. Victims are often left with extensive medical bills and the prospect of needing life-long care while at the same time losing their ability to work to support themselves and their families.

There are resources to provide support for truck accident victims in Tallahassee, but it is not always easy to find the assistance you need. With our extensive experience helping those injured in truck collisions and their families, the team at Searcy Denney understands the needs of truck accident victims in Tallahassee and can offer some general suggestions for support until you are able to work with an attorney who can provide customized support and dedicated assistance.

The Emotional Impact of Truck Accidents

Much of the focus after truck accidents centers on the physical impact on victims because these are often horrific in a very obvious way. However, the emotional effects can often prove to be just as damaging and long-lasting. Mental health is often not given the attention it deserves, especially in the wake of a traumatic experience like a truck accident. Poor mental health can affect everything we do because it impacts our ability to make decisions, cope with stress, and deal with others. Often, people see an individual heal on the outside, but they do not see the injuries that remain on the inside, causing silent suffering that can become worse instead of better over time.

Emotional trauma from a truck accident can lead to problems such as:

• Difficulty with sleeping, including insomnia, nightmares, and frequent interruptions. Lack of adequate sleep negatively impacts both mental and physical functioning.
• Concentration problems that make it difficult to complete tasks or even carry on a conversation.
• Flashbacks that cause the victim to experience the trauma repeatedly.
• Inability to drive or ride in a vehicle.
• Depression that leads to feelings of hopelessness and causes a lack of interest in formerly favorite activities.

On the busy road in the Tallahassee area, it is nearly impossible to avoid truck traffic, which can trigger fresh trauma for truck accident victims. Without warning, they may suffer sudden panic attacks that cause them to essentially cease functioning. Or they may take drastic steps to avoid activities and situations that remind them of the traumatic event, impacting not only their own lives, but the lives of family and friends as well.

When a truck leads to the wrongful death of a loved one, the impact can be even more profound.

Financial Losses from Truck Accidents in Tallahassee

When both physical and emotional injuries are so severe, it should not be surprising that truck accidents lead to severe financial losses as well. According to a study conducted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the expenses associated with a truck accident with non-fatal injuries average out to nearly $200,000 per incident and when these figures are adjusted for inflation, that amount jumps to almost $315,000 per accident.  

To understand the full financial impact, it is important to consider different types of losses stemming from truck collisions in the Tallahassee region.

Medical Costs

The often catastrophic injuries that result from truck accidents lead to high medical bills. Costs for hospital care, physician’s services, prescriptions, surgery, and other expenses can easily amount to tens of thousands of dollars very quickly, and the costs often continue to mount for months if not years. In addition to paying for the cost of expenses incurred while recovering from the accident, victims will also need funds to pay for future medical expenses. It might also be necessary to purchase a special vehicle or make modifications to the home to account for disabilities stemming from the accident.

Lost Income

Physical, mental, and emotional injuries from truck accidents usually cause victims to miss time from work, and these injuries could prevent victims from ever regaining their full earning potential. Calculations for these types of losses include wages lost in the past due to injuries, lost wages anticipated for the future due to the inability to work, and the reduction in future earning capacity when the victim has reached their maximum level of recovery.

Vehicle and Other Property Damage

Commercial trucks are so much larger and heavier than cars that even a smaller truck like a dump truck, garbage truck, or even a delivery van can cause substantial damage in a collision with a car or stationary property. A truck accident victim will either need to face substantial repair costs or replace the vehicle involved entirely.

Resources for Truck Accident Victims in Tallahassee

The needs of a truck accident victim can be extensive. In addition to the right care for medical recovery and rehabilitation, victims need assistance addressing mental health concerns and obtaining resources to support themselves and their families. Options in the Tallahassee region include:

• Apalachee Center (This mental health facility in Tallahassee offers a crisis line as well as a variety of services and resources that can help traumatized victims take control of their mental health.)
• Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Program (Administered by the Florida Department of Health in Tallahassee, this program seeks to give injury victims the opportunity to obtain the necessary services that will enable them to return to an appropriate level of functioning in their community.)
• Emotions Anonymous (This support program offers virtual group meetings and resources to help overcome mental health challenges.)
• NAMI Basics (This free peer-directed education program is sponsored by the National Alliance on Mental Illness to meet the needs of patients and their families.)
• ReachLink (Offers online therapy for individuals dealing with trauma and other mental health concerns.)

To obtain support to cope with the financial toll of a truck accident, it is often helpful to start by consulting an attorney experienced in helping truck accident victims recover financial compensation through insurance or a personal injury lawsuit. Any fee owed for assistance would be paid from the financial recovery so accident victims incur no up-front costs for advice and advocacy.

Searcy Denney Supports Truck Accident Victims in Tallahassee

As seasoned legal veterans who have been helping truck accident victims for decades, the team at Searcy Denney knows individuals who have been injured in truck accidents—and their families—will need a wide range of resources as they move through recovery and try to rebuild their lives. The full extent of your needs will not be apparent until some time later, but we can help you anticipate and prepare for those needs because we understand the process so well.

To get help with the emotional and financial impacts of a truck accident, contact our team today for a confidential case evaluation and consultation. Just call 888-549-7011 or contact us online today to get started on recovery.