PTSD and emotional distress after an accident in Dallas: where to get help and what Texas allows
If you are in crisis, call 911 or the North Texas Behavioral Health Authority line at 866-260-8000 or 844-672-5700, open every day, all day. You can also call or text 988. In Texas, mental anguish is usually recoverable when it comes with serious bodily injury, but PTSD alone after a crash is harder.
Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (27)
Where can I get help in Dallas right now?
You do not have to wait for a case to get care. The North Texas Behavioral Health Authority runs a crisis hotline for Dallas County at 866-260-8000 or 844-672-5700. It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. For a life-threatening emergency, call 911. You can call or text 988 anywhere in the country.
Fear after trauma is natural, and most people recover over time. Some people avoid driving or cars after a crash. Flashbacks can come with physical symptoms. Tell your doctor, so it is in your records.
What victim services does Dallas have after a crash or crime?
- Dallas Police Victim Services advocates work with victims of assault, robbery, sexual assault and traffic crimes, and with families of homicide victims. The main number is 214-671-3584.
- Dallas County DA Victim Services is at the Frank Crowley Courts Building, 133 N. Riverfront Blvd., LB 19, Dallas 75207, (214) 653-3600.
- Texas crime victim compensation can help with medical bills, counseling and lost wages.
Dallas Police call claims from vehicle accidents civil matters. So a victim advocate can explain the criminal side, but a civil claim is a separate path.
Can I sue for PTSD in Texas?
Texas has no general duty not to negligently cause emotional distress. Mental anguish has to connect to the breach of another legal duty. The usual route is a claim for bodily injury, with mental anguish as part of it. Mental anguish is usually recoverable when serious bodily injury occurs.
Without a physical injury, it is harder. A Texas appeals court denied recovery to a crash passenger who had PTSD and no physical injury.
| Situation | What Texas courts look at |
|---|---|
| You were hurt and have PTSD | Mental anguish with bodily injury is usually recoverable |
| You were not hurt but have PTSD | Recovery has been denied by an appeals court |
| You saw a loved one hurt | Whether you directly perceived the accident |
| Your relation to the victim | Whether you were closely related |
What proof helps a PTSD claim in Dallas?
Texas courts want direct evidence of the nature, duration and severity of the mental anguish. That means treatment notes, not just your word.
- See a provider. PTSD symptoms usually start within 3 months, sometimes later.
- Ask about assessment. It uses an interview and questionnaire, with no special equipment.
- Keep a simple log of nightmares, panic or avoiding roads.
- Remember a diagnosis needs symptoms for longer than 1 month.
About 6 of every 100 people have PTSD at some point. In one hospital study of serious crashes, 27.5 percent had it at 6 months. Some people recover within 6 months, and others have it for a year or longer.
How long do I have to bring a claim in Dallas?
Generally 2 years. If the City of Dallas is at fault, written notice is due within six months. Money from emotional distress is taxable when it does not come from a physical injury.
Questions
Is PTSD a bodily injury in Texas?
Not by itself in most cases. Texas has no general duty not to negligently inflict emotional distress.
Can a bystander recover?
Courts weigh whether the person directly perceived the accident and whether the bystander and victim were closely related.
Who do I call if I feel unsafe tonight?
Call 911, or the crisis line at 866-260-8000.
PTSD and emotional distress in Dallas? See if you are owed money.
A free case review. $0 upfront. No fee unless you win.
See if I’m owed moneySources (27)
- North Texas Behavioral Health Authority, checked 2026-11-09. “Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Please call 866-260-8000 or 844-672-5700.”
- Fitzpatrick v. Copeland, 80 S.W.3d 297 (Tex. App. 2002), checked 2026-11-09. “damages are recoverable in virtually all personal injury actions where serious bodily injury is inflicted”
- Fitzpatrick v. Copeland, 80 S.W.3d 297 (Tex. App. 2002), checked 2026-11-09. “We hold the trial court correctly granted summary judgment to Appellees that Fitzpatrick take nothing on her claim for mental anguish”
- National Institute of Mental Health, checked 2026-11-09. “In Crisis? Call or Text 988”
- Dallas Police Department, Victim Services, checked 2026-11-09. “Our advocates work with victims of sexual assault, robbery, assault, traffic crimes and families of homicide victims.”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
- National Institute of Mental Health, checked 2026-11-09. “It is natural to feel afraid during and after a traumatic situation.”
- National Institute of Mental Health, checked 2026-11-09. “some people may avoid driving or riding in a car after a serious car accident”
- National Institute of Mental Health, checked 2026-11-09. “reliving the traumatic event, including physical symptoms, such as a racing heart or sweating”
- Dallas Police Department, Victim Services, checked 2026-11-09. “Crimes Against Persons Division: Main Number - 214-671-3584”
- Dallas County District Attorney, Victim Services, checked 2026-11-09. “Frank Crowley Courts Building - 133 N. Riverfront Boulevard, LB 19, Dallas, TX 75207 Telephone: (214) 653-3600”
- Texas Attorney General, checked 2026-11-09. “covering costs like medical bills, counseling, lost wages, and more”
- Dallas Police Department, Public Information, checked 2026-11-08. “Claims arising from vehicle accidents are civil matters.”
- Boyles v. Kerr, 855 S.W.2d 593 (Tex. 1993), checked 2026-11-09. “there is no general duty in Texas not to negligently inflict emotional distress”
- Boyles v. Kerr, 855 S.W.2d 593 (Tex. 1993), checked 2026-11-09. “A claimant may recover mental anguish damages only in connection with defendant's breach of some other legal duty.”
- Freeman v. City of Pasadena, 744 S.W.2d 923 (Tex. 1988), checked 2026-11-09. “sensory and contemporaneous observance of the accident”
- Freeman v. City of Pasadena, 744 S.W.2d 923 (Tex. 1988), checked 2026-11-09. “Whether plaintiff and the victim were closely related”
- Parkway Co. v. Woodruff, 901 S.W.2d 434 (Tex. 1995), checked 2026-11-09. “direct evidence of the nature, duration, and severity of their mental anguish”
- National Institute of Mental Health, checked 2026-11-09. “Symptoms of PTSD usually begin within 3 months of the traumatic event, but they sometimes emerge later.”
- VA National Center for PTSD, checked 2026-11-09. “Providers may use a structured or semi-structured interview”
- VA National Center for PTSD, checked 2026-11-09. “A good assessment of PTSD can be done without the use of any special equipment.”
- National Institute of Mental Health, checked 2026-11-09. “a person must have symptoms for longer than 1 month”
- VA National Center for PTSD, checked 2026-11-09. “About 6 out of every 100 people (or 6% of the U.S. population) will have PTSD at some point in their lives.”
- PubMed Central (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “PTSD developed in 27.5 % (n=101) and 24.3 % (n=77) of the population at 6 and 12 months respectively”
- National Institute of Mental Health, checked 2026-11-09. “Although some people recover within 6 months, others have symptoms that last for 1 year or longer.”
- Dallas City Charter, Chapter XXIII, Section 1, checked 2026-11-08. “within six months after the injury was received”
- IRS Publication 4345, checked 2026-11-09. “do not originate from a personal physical injury or physical sickness, you must include them in your income”