If you lose a loved one in a car accident, the most natural reaction in the world is to go through a period of grief or mourning. You never need to feel bad about this or assume that you have to move on quickly. Take the time to mourn properly. Turn to friends and relatives for emotional support. Do not be afraid to talk to medical professionals about what you’re experiencing, if necessary.
With all of that in mind, you clearly are hoping to move forward with your life in time. Most people see notable progress within the first year. When you don’t, and you pass that 12-month mark, that’s when you know that you are experiencing prolonged grief.
When that happens, you could:
- Experience ongoing longing for the person who was lost
- See that loss impact your other close relationships
- Have the loss impact your day-to-day activities, like returning to work
- Feel like some of your core beliefs have been disrupted or changed
In some cases, you could even find yourself facing issues like clinical depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), especially if you were also involved in the accident where your loved one passed away.
As you can see, this experience can change your entire life. It can also be very expensive when you factor in medical bills, the cost of therapy, ongoing medication costs, funeral costs, lost wages and much more. Make sure that you are well aware of all of your legal rights to compensation to at least help reduce the financial stress at this difficult time.