The fatality of a loved one from an automobile or semi truck accident can be particularly debilitating to the families for several reasons. First, vehicle collisions are particularly heinous and it is very difficult to prevent family members from envisioning and carrying memories of a loved one's final moments.
In addition, the immediacy of a vehicle fatality can place a family in financial turmoil as well. This may be because of the loss of income from the family breadwinner or the need to cover costly funeral expenses.
It is recommended that those who have experienced the loss of a family member turn to a support system that includes family and friends but seek professional counseling as well.
There is a well documented grief process that counselors have been trained to monitor. They are also trained in recognizing and treating signs of long term depression and even thoughts of suicide that may appear as victim's go through the stages of grief.
These include shock and denial, pain and guilt, anger and bargaining, depression (reflection and loneliness), an upward turn, reconstruction and working through, and, finally, acceptance and hope.
In the first, people often deny the reality of the loss of their loved one. Shock may further insulate their emotions. The stage may last for weeks.
Shock is replaced with excruciating emotional pain and one is often wracked with guilt, remorse and helplessness. Anger and bargaining follow. This is a particularly dangerous stage because one may place blame on another loved one causing irreparable damage. With proper support the sufferer can come out on the other side of depression to acceptance and renewed hope.
The death of a loved one will remain with you always but it important to find a way forward through it for the sake of those who care about you.
Greg Baumgartner is a Houston wrongful death lawyer and the founder of the Baumgartner Law Firm, which helps families who have lost a loved one in wrongful death litigation. To speak with a Houston wrongful death attorney call the Baumgartner Firm.
