The Psychological Consequences of Road Accidents: An Often Overlooked Form of Harm

📌 A striking reality: psychological trauma is frequent and long-lasting

A study published in 2025 by the Belgian road safety institute Vias reveals an alarming truth: nearly six out of ten people involved in a road accident develop depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress shortly after the event.

Key findings include:

55% show symptoms of depression.
58% suffer from post-traumatic stress or anxiety disorders.
67% experience a combination of depression, anxiety, and PTSD.
41% still suffer from depression more than 10 years after the accident.

These results demonstrate that psychological trauma is not an exception but a major, often chronic form of harm.

🔬 What international research shows

The Vias findings are consistent with global scientific data. A 2025 meta-analysis including almost 17,000 road accident survivors concluded that approximately one in four develops PTSD.

Other studies show that victims frequently develop:

driving or travel phobias,
generalized anxiety,
depressive symptoms,
sleep disturbances,
chronic pain aggravated by emotional stress,
and a significant reduction in quality of life.

These effects appear regardless of the severity of physical injuries—even apparently minor accidents can trigger severe emotional trauma.

🧑‍⚖️ The legal implications: why this matters in compensation cases

In legal practice, psychological consequences have often been minimized. Yet the data clearly shows they are:

common,
serious,
long-lasting,
and directly linked to the accident.

As such, they must be fully considered when assessing a victim’s total harm.

This means:

Acknowledging psychological and moral harm
Symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD constitute compensable damage.
Collecting medical and psychological documentation
Reports, certificates, and treatment records help establish the extent of the harm.
Requesting psychological or psychiatric expertise
An expert can assess the nature, intensity, duration, and causality of the symptoms.
Evaluating global impact
Including professional difficulties, reduced mobility, driving avoidance, social withdrawal, sleep disorders, and persistent pain.

🔎 Practical steps for victims after an accident

Victims should:

consult a doctor promptly,
report psychological symptoms as soon as they appear,
keep all medical documents,
record the evolution of symptoms,
seek psychological support if needed,
consult a specialised lawyer.

Psychological harm is real, legitimate, and must be fully recognised and compensated.

📞 Need assistance?

If you are a victim of a road accident and would like guidance in assessing or claiming compensation for your damages, you can contact me for personalised and compassionate legal support.