PTSD and emotional distress after an accident in El Paso: where to get help and what Texas allows

If you are in crisis in El Paso, call the Emergence Health Network hotline at (915) 779-1800 or call or text 988. It is open any time of day or night. In a Texas injury claim, mental anguish is usually allowed when a serious bodily injury came with it. A PTSD claim with no physical injury is much harder.

Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (35)

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Road map of El Paso showing East Yandell Street, where the Emergence Health Network crisis unit is located
EHN's crisis hotline is open any time: (915) 779-1800. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Where can I get mental health help right now in El Paso?

  • Crisis hotline: Emergence Health Network, (915) 779-1800 or 988. Anyone can call any time of day or night.
  • Face-to-face help: the EHN Extended Observation Unit offers immediate counseling and crisis intervention.
  • Where: 1601 E. Yandell Street, Suite B. It is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
  • National line: call or text 988.

El Paso County Victim Services also lists the EHN number, (915) 779-1800. In El Paso, call 911 if you are in danger right now.

What does PTSD look like after a crash in El Paso?

Fear is natural during and after a frightening event. PTSD may mean reliving the event, with a racing heart or sweating. A serious crash can leave a person avoiding driving or riding in cars.

Symptoms usually start within 3 months, but they sometimes emerge later. A PTSD diagnosis requires symptoms lasting longer than a month. Some people recover within 6 months, and others have symptoms for a year or longer.

It is not rare. One hospital study of people with serious crash injuries found PTSD in 27.5 percent at 6 months. That is one study, not an El Paso rate.

Can I sue for PTSD in El Paso under Texas law?

SituationWhat Texas law and courts say
You had a serious bodily injury tooMental anguish damages are usually recoverable
No physical injury, only PTSDA Texas appeals court denied recovery to a crash passenger with PTSD and no physical injury
Emotional harm aloneTexas has no general duty not to negligently inflict emotional distress. Mental anguish must connect to a breach of another legal duty
You saw a loved one hurtCourts weigh whether you directly perceived the accident and whether you were closely related

To prove mental anguish, you need direct evidence of its nature, duration and severity. That means records, not only your word. For an El Paso claim, the usual deadline to file suit is 2 years.

Is there money for counseling after a violent crime in El Paso?

Maybe. The Texas crime victim compensation fund can help with medical bills, counseling and lost wages. The application deadline is 3 years from the date of the crime. The limit is $50,000, and other sources must pay first. Texas confirms that the crime was reported.

Help with the form is local. Within El Paso, the police department's Victim Services Response Team will help you fill out that application. EPPD Victim Assistance is at 915-212-4011, Sheriff Victim Services at 915-273-3806, and the District Attorney's Victim Assistance Program at 915-273-3553.

How do I document emotional distress for a claim in El Paso?

  1. See a licensed provider and say what you are feeling. The records show the nature, duration and severity Texas asks for.
  2. Keep a short daily log: sleep, nightmares, panic, and what you now avoid, such as driving.
  3. Keep every bill and note, including crisis visits.
  4. Tell your doctor if the event also hurt your body, because a physical injury changes the legal picture.
  5. Do not post about the event or your recovery online. Others may read it.

Questions

What if a Sun Metro bus or city vehicle caused the crash?

A sworn notice to the Mayor is due within 90 days, or 6 months for good cause. Sun Metro is a city department.

Is my settlement for emotional distress taxed?

It can be. Settlements that do not come from a physical injury are generally taxable.

How long can PTSD last?

Recovery takes under 6 months for some people, while others live with symptoms for a year or more.

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Sources (35)

  1. Emergence Health Network, Community Resource Guide, checked 2026-11-09. “Crisis Hotline: (915) 779-1800 or 988”
  2. National Institute of Mental Health, checked 2026-11-09. “In Crisis? Call or Text 988”
  3. Emergence Health Network, Crisis, checked 2026-11-09. “Anyone can access the EHN Crisis Hotline any time of the day or night.”
  4. 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”
  5. 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”
  6. Emergence Health Network, Crisis, checked 2026-11-09. “LOCATION: 1601 E. YANDELL STREET, SUITE B”
  7. Emergence Health Network, Crisis, checked 2026-11-09. “This Crisis Unit is open 24-hours a day, 7 days a week.”
  8. 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”
  9. Texas Attorney General, checked 2026-11-09. “covering costs like medical bills, counseling, lost wages, and more”
  10. Texas Attorney General, checked 2026-11-09. “You're applying within 3 years of the crime”
  11. Emergence Health Network, Crisis, checked 2026-11-09. “can receive immediate, face-to-face counseling and crisis intervention at the EHN Extended Observation Unit”
  12. El Paso County Victim Services, checked 2026-11-09. “Emergence Health Network phone: 915-779-1800”
  13. National Institute of Mental Health, checked 2026-11-09. “It is natural to feel afraid during and after a traumatic situation.”
  14. National Institute of Mental Health, checked 2026-11-09. “reliving the traumatic event, including physical symptoms, such as a racing heart or sweating”
  15. National Institute of Mental Health, checked 2026-11-09. “some people may avoid driving or riding in a car after a serious car accident”
  16. 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.”
  17. National Institute of Mental Health, checked 2026-11-09. “a person must have symptoms for longer than 1 month”
  18. 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.”
  19. 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”
  20. 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.”
  21. Freeman v. City of Pasadena, 744 S.W.2d 923 (Tex. 1988), checked 2026-11-09. “sensory and contemporaneous observance of the accident”
  22. Freeman v. City of Pasadena, 744 S.W.2d 923 (Tex. 1988), checked 2026-11-09. “Whether plaintiff and the victim were closely related”
  23. 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”
  24. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
  25. Texas Attorney General, checked 2026-11-09. “The CVC Program can help cover costs up to $50,000”
  26. Texas Attorney General, checked 2026-11-09. “this program is meant to pay only as a last option”
  27. Texas Attorney General, checked 2026-11-09. “We confirm that a crime happened and that it was reported to law enforcement.”
  28. EPPD Victim Services, checked 2026-11-09. “assists with the application for the Texas Crime Victim”
  29. El Paso County Victim Services, checked 2026-11-09. “EPPD Victim Assistance phone: 915-212-4011”
  30. El Paso County Victim Services, checked 2026-11-09. “Sheriff Victim Services phone: 915-273-3806”
  31. El Paso County Victim Services, checked 2026-11-09. “DA Victim Assistance Program phone: 915-273-3553”
  32. City of El Paso City Attorney, Filing a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “shall within 90 days or within 6 months for good cause shown from the date the damage occurred or the injury was received, give notice in writing to the mayor”
  33. City of El Paso City Attorney, Filing a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “shall be sworn to by the person claiming damages or by someone authorized by him to do so on his behalf”
  34. Sun Metro Suspension of Service Policy, checked 2026-11-08. “the City of El Paso's Mass Transit Department (Sun Metro)”
  35. 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”

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