I am Attorney David M. Chester from Chester Law Group, attorneys at law, a Cleveland car accident law firm with offices across Ohio, and today we are here to discuss post accident depression in Ohio.
It probably won’t come as much of a surprise to you, but many injured Ohioans suffer from depression after their motor vehicle accidents. While I am not a doctor of medicine, in my experience of handling thousands of Ohio personal injury claims, it is important to discuss any feelings of depression, tiredness or suicidal thoughts after the accident with your doctor. Many people feel embarrassed to discuss this with their doctor for fear of being labeled weak or mentally ill. Most of the time, this is not the case. When the body suffers a trauma, especially to the head, as in whiplash injuries, or the client is in pain for long periods of time, depression is often a result. If untreated, it can lead to a relapse of symptoms and even suicide in some cases.
Please have the courage to talk to a medical professional about any depression you feel after the accident, even if you already suffer from depression before the accident. Some clients even go to a therapist to cope with long term pain. It is actually quite common, especially in the more seriously injured, chronically injured clients.
Over the years I have had several clients who have committed suicide after an accident. While there is no way to know if the accident was the main cause, one common factor was that they did not tell their doctor that they were depressed. They kept it to themselves, perhaps out of embarrassment or shame, as most doctors ask the questions about depression in their exams. Don’t let this tragedy happen to you. Tell your treating doctor about any depression or thoughts of suicide always, but especially after an accident.