Motorcycle collisions bring numerous hardships into the daily lives of victims, creating financial hurdles, high levels of physical pain, permanent immobility and a host of other problems. For example, many motorcycle accident victims struggle with debilitating emotional issues, such as depression. In many cases, depression and other difficulties related to one’s mental health (such as anxiety) often make it even tougher for victims to recover from a motorcycle accident.
Motorcyclists who are involved in wrecks can become depressed for a variety of reasons. Some have very negative feelings because the accident has left them immobilized, and some lose the ability to walk for the rest of their lives. Financial problems that surface in the wake of a crash can also contribute to depression.
A crash can also lead to a situation where someone’s existing condition of depression worsens. This is not surprising, given the high percentage of people who struggle with depression. But it is still difficult.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an estimated 17.3 million adults had at least one major depressive episode in 2017. The NIH defines such an episode as “period of at least two weeks when a person experienced a depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities, and had a majority of specified symptoms, such as problems with sleep, eating, energy, concentration, or self-worth.”
Of course, regardless of your mental state it is important to be aware of your legal right to seek compensation after an accident. But it is also important to recognize signs of depression when they occur and take action to address them in a positive way.
