A car accident can be a traumatic experience for people of any age, regardless of whether you’re in the driver’s seat or a passenger in the vehicle. However, if your teen is involved in a wreck, you feel the impact as a parent, wanting to help them through the physical and emotional pain they may be experiencing. Here are some tips for you, your family members, and your teen’s friends to help them in the aftermath of a car crash.
Seek immediate medical care.
After a car accident, your teen should be assessed on the scene by a responding emergency technician. It’s important for any accident victim to be checked out, whether it’s in an emergency room setting or through an urgent care clinic or regular physician. Car crash recovery can be a lengthy process depending on the severity of injuries that your teen has suffered. Be sure to work with medical professionals to find the effective treatment that will have your teenager back to better physical health.
After all, high school students can feel an impact on their self-esteem if they are no longer able to take part in their favorite activities because of the injuries they’ve suffered in that accident. Getting immediate medical care can determine the presence of injuries that are not visible to the naked eye. Your teen may have suffered whiplash from the speed and impact of the car crash, which can lead to long-term issues with neck and back pain. From fractures to bumps and bruises, a proper assessment from the pros is the right choice for parents to make for their children.
Consider your teen’s mental health.
The impact of a car accident is initially quite jarring, but the stress of that incident can extend well after the damage is done. You may want to Google “therapy for teens near me” to figure out a mental health treatment plan for your teen to vent the emotions they’re experiencing post-wreck. For some teens, individual therapy affords a safe space to explain the stressors from the accident, ranging from the fear of getting back behind the wheel to dealing with limited physical capabilities because of a car accident injury.
Online therapy may be a viable option due to limitations on in-person sessions because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In some circumstances, an appointment for group therapy may be a good option to vent on the feelings experienced after a car wreck together. There are intense emotions that may emerge from the loss of routines and daily activity during the healing process, but uncovering these frustrations or getting to the route of triggers can actually be tremendously beneficial to the physical recovery process as well.
Make sure you have information on the wreck.
Be sure to inform your teen to call you immediately in the event they are in a car accident, and not to sign any paperwork without you present. In the heat of the moment, your teen may feel compelled to admit they were at fault in the crash. Be sure to allow them to focus on their accident injuries and getting medical care, allowing the police to help take care of the rest. Officers will provide an accident report from the scene, which is important documentation for your teen and your car insurance coverage.
When it comes to medical bills for significant injuries, you’ll also want to maintain any documents for your child in the event that health insurance may hit a snag in providing coverage, or that legal action is needed. Be sure to maintain confidentiality between you, your teen, your medical care team, and if needed, a car accident attorney, in the event that the parties they were involved in the car crash with are not paying up on their end.
