Yes, you can get compensation for PTSD after a truck accident. PTSD is a real medical condition that can happen after scary or life-threatening events like truck crashes. Courts and insurance companies now understand that mental injuries are just as serious as broken bones or cuts.
This guide will help you understand your rights, how much money you might get, and what steps to take to protect your claim. We’ll explain everything in simple terms so you know exactly what to expect.
What Is PTSD and How Does It Happen After Truck Accidents?
Understanding PTSD After Truck Crashes
PTSD stands for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It’s a mental health problem that can happen when someone goes through or sees something very scary or dangerous. PTSD is a mental health condition that can occur after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event.
Truck accidents are one of the leading causes of PTSD because they can be so frightening and dangerous. When a huge truck crashes into your car, it can feel like you’re going to die. This fear can stick with you long after your body heals.
Why Truck Accidents Cause PTSD More Often
Truck accidents are different from regular car crashes. Commercial trucks generally weigh twenty to thirty times as much as passenger cars; they have greater ground clearance, are taller, and they take 20-40 percent longer to stop. This huge size difference makes truck crashes much scarier and more likely to cause lasting mental trauma.
When you see an 80,000-pound truck coming at you, your brain remembers that fear. Even after you heal physically, you might still feel afraid every time you see a big truck on the road.
Common PTSD Symptoms After Truck Accidents
PTSD affects everyone differently, but there are common signs to watch for:
- Bad dreams or nightmares about the crash
- Feeling scared when you see trucks or drive
- Not wanting to drive on highways anymore
- Feeling jumpy when you hear loud noises
- Having trouble sleeping
- Feeling sad or angry all the time
- Trouble remembering things or thinking clearly
- Avoiding places that remind you of the crash
Car accidents are one of the leading causes of PTSD outside of military combat. If you have any of these problems after your truck accident, you might have PTSD and should see a doctor.
Legal Rights: Can You Really Get Money for PTSD?
PTSD Is a Valid Legal Claim
The law now understands that PTSD is a real injury that deserves compensation. PTSD can be considered a loss if it ties back to an event involving negligence or reckless behavior. This means if someone else caused your truck accident and you got PTSD because of it, you have the right to ask for money to help with your problems.
You don’t need to have broken bones or cuts to get money for PTSD. Yes, you can still make a claim for PTSD even if you did not sustain physical injuries in the accident. PTSD is a psychological condition. Its presence doesn’t necessarily correlate with the severity of physical injuries.
What You Can Get Money For
When you have PTSD from a truck accident, you can ask for money to help with:
Medical Bills and Treatment
- Doctor visits for your mental health
- Medicine to help with anxiety or depression
- Therapy sessions to help you feel better
- Hospital stays if needed
Lost Money From Work
- Days you missed work because of PTSD
- If you can’t work as much as before
- If you had to change jobs because of your fear
- Future money you won’t make if PTSD affects your career
Pain and Suffering
- The fear and worry you feel every day
- Not being able to enjoy things you used to love
- Problems with your family or friends
- Loss of sleep and feeling tired all the time
How Much Money Can You Get?
The amount of money you can get for PTSD after a truck accident depends on how bad your symptoms are and how much they affect your life. On average, PTSD settlements for car accidents range between $50,000 and $100,000, depending on the case. However, the actual amount can vary. Some cases might settle for as little as $10,000, while others can exceed $1 million if the PTSD severely disrupts the victim’s life.
Our research on settlement amounts collected from four law firms in June 2025 indicates that the average settlement for PTSD cases typically ranges from $10,000 to $120,000.
Here are some real examples of PTSD settlements:
- A $500,000 PTSD settlement: A 42-year-old man was run off the road by a semi-truck, and the victim’s vehicle was totaled when he crashed into a ditch beside the highway. He suffered multiple broken bones, including broken ribs, which forced him to temporarily change jobs at his company. He was also diagnosed with PTSD along with depression, as he was unable to perform his former work duties or physical activities for several months. His PTSD symptoms interrupted his sleep schedule and ability to drive.
- A $150,000 PTSD settlement: A 35-year-old woman was in a car accident on the highway when another vehicle merged into her lane. The vehicles spun out on the icy road, and she suffered severe whiplash, which forced her to miss nearly ten days from work. Additionally, she was also afraid to drive on the highway following the accident and suffered painful flashbacks. The trauma of the accident led the victim to seek out treatment for PTSD for two months following the accident.
How to Prove Your PTSD Claim
Getting a Medical Diagnosis
The most important step is getting a doctor to say you have PTSD. If you want to pursue compensation for PTSD after an accident, you need to have a medical professional submit a witness statement officially diagnosing you with this condition.
You need to see a special doctor called a psychiatrist or psychologist. These doctors know how to tell if you have PTSD. They will ask you questions about how you feel and what happened in the accident.
What Doctors Look For
A diagnosis of PTSD from a licensed medical professional is crucial. This provides the necessary medical evidence to support the claim. The doctor will check if you have the right symptoms and if they started after your truck accident.
The doctor will also write down how your PTSD affects your daily life. This is very important because it shows how much the accident has hurt you.
Keeping Good Records
To prove your PTSD claim, you need to keep track of everything:
Medical Records
- All doctor visits and what they said
- Medicine you take for PTSD
- Therapy sessions and what you talked about
- Any hospital stays
How PTSD Affects Your Life
- Days you missed work
- Things you can’t do anymore
- Problems with your family or friends
- How you feel each day
Medical records are crucial evidence in a PTSD car accident compensation claim. They provide proof of your diagnosis, the severity of your symptoms, and the ongoing impact on your life.
Getting People to Support Your Claim
Other people can help prove your PTSD claim by talking about how you’ve changed since the accident. Apart from relying on the views of a qualified mental health expert, the individuals you interact with daily can testify about the changes they’ve witnessed in you since the car accident. Witnesses may include family members, friends, and coworkers who’ve seen your flashbacks, mood changes, and other symptoms.
These people can tell the insurance company or court:
- How you acted before the accident
- How you act now
- Specific things they’ve seen you do because of PTSD
- How worried they are about you
Steps to Take After a Truck Accident to Protect Your PTSD Claim
Right After the Accident
Get Safe and Call 911 Your safety comes first. Get away from danger and call for help. The police and ambulance need to come to the scene.
See a Doctor Right Away Even if you feel okay, see a doctor. Seeking medical care early ensures you have clear documentation of your condition. Sometimes PTSD symptoms don’t show up right away, but having medical records from the start helps your case.
Don’t Talk to Insurance Companies Yet The truck driver’s insurance company might call you quickly. Don’t give them a statement or sign anything without talking to a lawyer first. Before you talk to a Denver truck accident lawyer, you should not talk to an insurance company or sign any documents after being injured in an 18-wheeler or trucking accident.
In the Days and Weeks After
Keep Going to the Doctor If you start having PTSD symptoms, keep seeing doctors. Not seeking medical care, gaps in between treatments, or not following up with recommended care when you claim you are still injured can be very damaging to your case.
Write Down What Happens Keep a diary of how you feel each day. Write down:
- Bad dreams or nightmares
- Times you felt scared
- Things you couldn’t do because of fear
- How PTSD affected your work or family
Save All Your Papers Keep every paper from doctors, medicine bottles, and bills. These prove how much your PTSD has cost you.
Getting Legal Help
Why You Need a Truck Accident Lawyer Truck accident cases are much harder than regular car accident cases. If you have been injured in a tractor-trailer incident, you will need an experienced truck accident lawyer to properly navigate the web of potentially liable parties, complex facts, and regulations.
A good lawyer will:
- Help you understand your rights
- Talk to insurance companies for you
- Make sure you see the right doctors
- Gather evidence to prove your case
- Fight for the money you deserve
Finding the Right Lawyer Look for a lawyer who:
- Has handled truck accident cases before
- Understands PTSD claims
- Will fight hard for you
- Explains things in simple terms
- Cares about your case
Common Challenges and How to Overcome Them
Insurance Companies Don’t Believe PTSD Is Real
Insurance companies often try to say PTSD isn’t a real injury or that it’s not that bad. Insurance adjusters will work tirelessly to reject a claim. Because PTSD seldom causes obvious injuries, insurance adjusters may quickly dismiss it.
How to Fight This:
- Get a strong medical diagnosis
- Have your doctor explain how PTSD affects you
- Show proof of how it’s changed your life
- Get people who know you to support your claim
Proving the Truck Accident Caused Your PTSD
Sometimes insurance companies say your PTSD came from something else, not the truck accident. You need to prove the accident caused your mental health problems.
How to Prove the Connection:
- Show you were fine before the accident
- Get medical records from before the crash
- Have your doctor explain how the accident caused your PTSD
- Show that your symptoms started after the accident
Delays in Getting Diagnosed
Another factor to consider in cases involving car accident PTSD is the time it may take to identify and diagnose the condition. Because PTSD is not understood as well as other mental disorders, car accident victims and their family members may not see the warning signs until they get intense enough to seriously and negatively impact the victim’s life.
Don’t worry if you didn’t know you had PTSD right away. Many people don’t realize they have it until weeks or months after the accident. The important thing is to see a doctor as soon as you start having symptoms.
What Makes Truck Accident PTSD Cases Special
Truck Accidents Are More Traumatic
Truck accidents are scarier than regular car accidents because of how big trucks are. In 2021 alone, there were 494,000 police-reported large truck accidents. Of these, 1% were fatal crashes. In 2022, there were 5,837 fatal truck crashes, an increase of about 1.8% from 2021.
When you’re in a truck accident, you’re more likely to:
- Think you’re going to die
- See very scary things
- Get badly hurt
- Have your car completely destroyed
- Be trapped in your car
All of these things make PTSD more likely and more severe.
More People Might Be Responsible
In truck accidents, it’s not just the driver who might be at fault. In trucking crashes, there are potentially multiple negligent parties, including the truck driver, the trucking company, the owner of the trailer, and more.
This means you might be able to get money from:
- The truck driver
- The trucking company
- The company that loaded the truck
- The company that maintains the truck
- The truck manufacturer if something was broken
Having more responsible parties can mean more money for your PTSD claim.
Special Rules for Truck Drivers
Truck drivers are held to a higher standard of care. They have specialized training and licensing requirements because of the increased risks.
This means:
- Truck drivers should know better than to make mistakes
- They have stricter rules they must follow
- When they break these rules and cause accidents, they’re more likely to be found at fault
Working With Your Legal Team
What a Good Lawyer Will Do for You
A truck accident lawyer who handles PTSD cases will:
Investigate Your Accident
- Get police reports and accident scene photos
- Talk to witnesses
- Check if the truck driver broke any rules
- Look at the truck’s electronic records
- Hire experts to explain what happened
Handle Your Medical Care
- Help you find the right doctors
- Make sure you get proper treatment
- Organize all your medical records
- Get doctors to explain your PTSD
Deal With Insurance Companies
- Talk to insurance adjusters for you
- Stop them from trying to trick you
- Fight for fair compensation
- Handle all the paperwork
Take Your Case to Court if Needed
- File a lawsuit if insurance won’t pay fairly
- Present your case to a jury
- Bring in expert witnesses
- Fight for the money you deserve
How Lawyers Get Paid
Most truck accident lawyers work on a “contingency fee” basis. Our attorney fees are based on a percentage of the settlement or jury verdict. That means if there is no recovery, you pay no fees.
This means:
- You don’t pay anything upfront
- You only pay if you win money
- The lawyer gets a percentage of what you win
- If you don’t win, you don’t owe the lawyer anything
Timeline: What to Expect
Right After the Accident (First Days)
- Get medical attention
- Call the police
- Take pictures if you can
- Don’t talk to insurance companies
- Contact a lawyer
First Few Weeks
- Keep seeing doctors
- Start documenting symptoms
- Let your lawyer handle insurance calls
- Begin therapy if recommended
- Keep track of missed work
First Few Months
- Get a PTSD diagnosis
- Continue treatment
- Build your medical record
- Let your lawyer investigate the case
- Document how PTSD affects your life
Settlement Discussions (3-12 Months)
- Your lawyer presents your case to insurance
- Negotiate for fair compensation
- Consider settlement offers
- Continue medical treatment
Trial if Needed (1-2 Years)
- File a lawsuit if settlement talks fail
- Go through discovery process
- Prepare for trial
- Present your case to a jury
Statute of Limitations
For truck accidents in Colorado, this period is three years. This means that you have three years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit seeking compensation for any damages incurred.
Don’t wait too long to start your case. The sooner you begin, the better your chances of getting fair compensation.
How PTSD Affects Your Daily Life
Work and Career Problems
PTSD can make it hard to do your job. You might:
- Have trouble concentrating
- Call in sick more often
- Feel scared driving to work
- Not be able to handle stress
- Need to change careers
If your PTSD has impacted your ability to work in the future, you may also be able to obtain compensation for lost future income.
Family and Relationship Issues
PTSD doesn’t just hurt you – it affects everyone who cares about you. Your family might see you:
- Acting differently than before
- Being scared or angry more often
- Not wanting to go places
- Having trouble sleeping
- Not enjoying things you used to love
Long-Term Health Problems
PTSD can cause other health problems if not treated:
- Depression and anxiety
- Trouble sleeping
- Headaches and body pain
- Problems with alcohol or drugs
- Heart problems from stress
Getting proper treatment and compensation helps you get better and prevents these other problems.
Expert Witnesses in PTSD Cases
Why Expert Witnesses Matter
Having expert witnesses testify on your side regarding your PTSD after a vehicle accident is crucial if you want compensation. Professional counselors, doctors, professors, and scientists are all viable witnesses in PTSD trials.
Expert witnesses can:
- Explain what PTSD is to the jury
- Show how the accident caused your PTSD
- Describe how PTSD affects your brain
- Explain why you need ongoing treatment
- Estimate future medical costs
Types of Expert Witnesses
Mental Health Professionals
- Psychiatrists who diagnose PTSD
- Psychologists who treat trauma
- Therapists who work with accident victims
Medical Doctors
- Neurologists who study the brain
- Primary care doctors who treat you
- Emergency room doctors from the accident
Life Care Planners
- Experts who estimate future treatment costs
- People who calculate lost earning capacity
- Specialists in disability planning
Accident Reconstruction Experts
- Engineers who explain how the crash happened
- Safety experts who show what went wrong
- Technology experts who review truck data
Maximizing Your PTSD Compensation
Factors That Increase Your Settlement
Severity of Symptoms The worse your PTSD symptoms, the more money you can get. Show how PTSD affects every part of your life.
Good Medical Records Complete medical records with regular treatment show your PTSD is real and ongoing.
Following Doctor’s Orders Always do what your doctors tell you. Missing appointments or not taking medicine hurts your case.
Impact on Work and Family Document how PTSD has changed your ability to work and enjoy life with your family.
Strong Legal Representation An experienced lawyer who knows truck accident and PTSD cases can get you more money.
Factors That Decrease Your Settlement
Gaps in Medical Treatment If you stop seeing doctors for weeks or months, insurance companies will say you’re not really hurt.
Pre-existing Mental Health Issues If you had anxiety or depression before the accident, it might reduce your compensation.
Inconsistent Stories Always tell the truth about your symptoms and how they affect you.
Talking to Insurance Without a Lawyer Insurance companies might trick you into saying something that hurts your case.
Alternative Treatments and Their Costs
Traditional PTSD Treatments
Therapy Sessions
- Individual counseling: $100-$200 per session
- Group therapy: $50-$100 per session
- Family therapy: $150-$300 per session
Medications
- Antidepressants: $20-$100 per month
- Anti-anxiety medicine: $15-$80 per month
- Sleep aids: $10-$50 per month
Newer PTSD Treatments
EMDR Therapy Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing helps process traumatic memories.
Neurofeedback Technology that helps retrain your brain’s response to trauma.
Service Animals Specially trained dogs that help people with PTSD feel safer.
All of these treatments can be included in your compensation claim if they help your PTSD.
Final Thoughts
Getting compensation for PTSD after a truck accident is possible, but it requires the right approach. PTSD is a real medical condition that deserves real compensation. Don’t let anyone tell you that your mental injuries don’t matter as much as physical ones.
The key to a successful PTSD claim is getting proper medical treatment, keeping good records, and working with an experienced truck accident lawyer who understands these complex cases. Remember that you have three years to file your claim in Colorado, but starting sooner gives you the best chance of success.
If you’re suffering from PTSD after a truck accident, you don’t have to face this alone. The right legal team can help you get the money you need to pay for treatment, make up for lost wages, and compensate you for the pain and suffering you’ve endured. Your mental health and recovery are worth fighting for.
Take the first step today by talking to a qualified personal injury attorney who can help you understand your rights and guide you through the process of getting the compensation you deserve.