Stephen B. Farmer | November 12, 2026 | Car Accidents
Being in a car accident could leave you with a variety of injuries, from broken bones to spinal cord damage. Physical injuries tend to show immediate symptoms, and so they get rapid attention and treatment. Emotional and psychological injuries, however, often go overlooked.
One of the types of psychological harm you can suffer after a crash is the development of vehophobia. Learn more about it and whether you can file a personal injury claim in the aftermath of the accident.
Understanding Vehophobia
Vehophobia is an intense and irrational fear of driving. As with other types of phobias, the fear can feel overwhelming and impossible to surmount, triggering your body’s fight-or-flight response. This goes far beyond feelings of stress or nervousness.
Vehophobia can cause severe symptoms, such as:
- Tachycardia
- Chest tightness
- Trembling
- Panic attacks
- Sweating
- Rapid or shallow breathing
- Dizziness
People in the grip of the phobia can feel out of control behind the wheel of the car. They may have flashbacks of the accident they were in, too.
Vehophobia can develop after any crash, but it usually occurs after particularly serious ones, like rollover and speeding accidents. Even witnessing a crash could trigger this type of phobia. People with previous anxiety disorders are more likely to develop this phobia, but anyone can.
Can Vehophobia Be Treated?
Vehophobia can have a serious impact on your life. You may not be able to drive yourself to work or to take care of everyday things, such as grocery shopping. Like other phobias, it can be treated with therapy.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is one of the most trusted treatment options for phobias. It helps you reframe the catastrophic thoughts that trigger symptoms, allowing you to adjust your thinking patterns so that they don’t cause as much distress.
Exposure therapy can also be helpful. With help from a therapist and in a controlled environment, you can slowly be exposed to your fears. For example, you may be given a picture of a car to look at so that you can learn to manage your fear. Once you can do so, your therapist may play a clip of someone driving a car. The goal is to desensitize you to help you get behind the wheel again.
It’s vital to know that treating vehophobia can take time. You may need months of therapy sessions before you can feel comfortable driving again.
Obtaining Compensation After Developing Vehophobia
It may be possible to file a personal injury claim after a car accident if you sustained a psychological injury. A diagnosis and medical documentation of your psychological injury can help support your claim. You will need to prove that the other party was responsible for the crash because they failed in their duty of care toward you.
With a personal injury claim, you can recover economic and non-economic damages. Economic ones will cover your medical expenses, including the future therapy sessions you will need. If you can’t work because of this type of phobia, then you can receive compensation for lost wages, too.
Emotional and physical distress are addressed via non-economic damages. They cover your loss of enjoyment of life, too.
Contact Farmer, Cline & Campbell Personal Injury Lawyers To Schedule a Free Consultation With a Morgantown Car Accident Attorney
If you’re dealing with vehophobia after a car accident in West Virginia, it’s important to get help when filing a claim. It can be hard to prove that you suffered a psychological injury, so having legal representation can protect your rights.
Your lawyer will know how to gather evidence to show that you deserve compensation, and they will negotiate with insurers on your behalf. For help, call Farmer, Cline & Campbell Personal Injury Lawyers today for a free consultation with a Morgantown car accident lawyer.
Farmer, Cline & Campbell Personal Injury Lawyers – Charleston
746 Myrtle Rd
Charleston, WV 25314
(304) 346-5990
Farmer, Cline & Campbell Personal Injury Lawyers – Beckley
101 N Kanawha St, Suite 101
Beckley, WV 25801
(304) 252-5990
Farmer, Cline & Campbell Personal Injury Lawyers – Morgantown
453 Suncrest Towne Centre Drive, Suite 300
Morgantown, WV 26505
(304) 225-5990