PTSD and emotional distress after an injury in McAllen: where to get help and what Texas allows

If you are in crisis, call or text 988, or call the Tropical Texas Behavioral Health line at 1-877-289-7199, open 24 hours. In Texas, mental anguish is usually recoverable when a serious bodily injury happened. One Texas appeals court turned down a crash passenger who had PTSD but no bodily injury. You generally have 2 years.

Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (28)

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Road map of McAllen with Nolana Ave and N Bicentennial Blvd, two corridors on the city's Vision Zero priority list
PTSD symptoms can start after 3 months or more. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Where can I get help for PTSD or fear after a crash in McAllen?

Start with a person you trust, then with a professional. These are free or local first steps:

NeedWhoHow to reach them
Crisis, any hour988 Suicide & Crisis LifelineCall or text 988
Local crisis lineTropical Texas Behavioral Health1-877-289-7199, 24 hours a day
AppointmentsTTBH McAllen outpatient clinic1-800-813-1233 for the location and appointments
Counseling costs after a crimeTexas crime victim compensationCan help with medical bills, counseling and lost wages

Fear after trauma is natural during and after the event, and most people recover over time. Some avoid driving after a crash. If it lingers, that is a reason to see someone, not a failing.

How common is PTSD after a serious crash?

  • About 6 out of every 100 people will have PTSD at some point in their lives.
  • In one hospital study of serious crash survivors, PTSD developed in 27.5% at 6 months.
  • Some people recover within 6 months. For others, symptoms last a year or more.

Crashes on McAllen streets are not rare. From 2018 to 2023, 42 people died and 227 were seriously injured in crashes there. Behind each number are drivers, passengers and family who saw it.

Can I sue for PTSD in Texas if I was not physically hurt?

It is hard. Texas has no stand-alone duty to avoid causing emotional distress by carelessness. Mental anguish damages are recoverable only in connection with a breach of some other legal duty.

With a serious bodily injury, mental anguish is usually recoverable. Without one, the picture changes. In one Texas case, a crash passenger with PTSD and no physical injury could not recover.

A bystander who saw a loved one hurt may have a path. Courts weigh whether the person directly perceived the accident and whether the bystander and the victim were closely related.

How do I prove mental anguish in a McAllen claim?

Texas courts look for direct evidence of the nature, duration and severity of the anguish. Feelings alone are not enough. Records are.

  1. See a counselor or doctor, and say how you feel in your own words. Tropical Texas Behavioral Health's McAllen clinic books appointments at 1-800-813-1233.
  2. A structured interview and a questionnaire can assess PTSD, and no special equipment is needed.
  3. Keep a short daily note: sleep, nightmares, places you avoid, work you missed.
  4. Ask family or coworkers who see you daily to write what changed.
  5. Keep treatment bills and pharmacy receipts. For DHR Health records, call 956-362-3448.

How long do I have to sue for emotional distress in McAllen?

You generally have 2 years. PTSD may not show up for months, so do not wait to start records. With a government, give notice within 6 months. For a child, the clock waits until age 18.

If a jury puts more than 50 percent of the blame on you, you recover nothing. A suit filed in Hidalgo County goes through the District Clerk at 100 N. Closner, Edinburg, (956) 318-2200.

If a crime was involved, the Hidalgo County District Attorney is at 100 East Cano St., Edinburg, (956) 292-7600.

Questions

Is feeling afraid after a crash normal?

Yes. Most people recover over time, and fear during and after trauma is normal. The Tropical Texas Behavioral Health crisis line is open 24 hours at 1-877-289-7199.

How long until it counts as PTSD?

A diagnosis requires symptoms for longer than 1 month.

Does it matter that my symptoms began late?

Not by itself. Symptoms often begin within 3 months and sometimes later.

Can I ask for a counselor through my claim?

Counseling bills are a medical cost, so keep the records and the receipts. Crime victim compensation may also help if a crime was involved.

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Sources (28)

  1. National Institute of Mental Health, checked 2026-11-09. “In Crisis? Call or Text 988”
  2. Tropical Texas Behavioral Health, checked 2026-11-09. “TTBH 24-Hour Crisis Hotline 1-877-289-7199 — Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”
  3. 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”
  4. 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”
  5. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
  6. 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.”
  7. Texas Attorney General, checked 2026-11-09. “covering costs like medical bills, counseling, lost wages, and more”
  8. National Institute of Mental Health, checked 2026-11-09. “a person must have symptoms for longer than 1 month”
  9. 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”
  10. 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.”
  11. 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”
  12. Hidalgo County District Attorney, Victims Unit, checked 2026-11-09. “assist them in applying for crime victims compensation”
  13. Tropical Texas Behavioral Health, checked 2026-11-09. “McAllen – Outpatient Clinic Contact 1-800-813-1233 for location details and appointments.”
  14. National Institute of Mental Health, checked 2026-11-09. “It is natural to feel afraid during and after a traumatic situation.”
  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. 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.”
  17. 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”
  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. City of McAllen, Vision Zero Action Plan (August 2024), checked 2026-11-08. “Between 2018 and 2023, 42 people died and another 227 were seriously injured due to crashes on the streets of McAllen.”
  20. Freeman v. City of Pasadena, 744 S.W.2d 923 (Tex. 1988), checked 2026-11-09. “sensory and contemporaneous observance of the accident”
  21. Freeman v. City of Pasadena, 744 S.W.2d 923 (Tex. 1988), checked 2026-11-09. “Whether plaintiff and the victim were closely related”
  22. VA National Center for PTSD, checked 2026-11-09. “Providers may use a structured or semi-structured interview”
  23. DHR Health, Medical Records, checked 2026-11-08. “you can reach us at 956-362-3448”
  24. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.101, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than six months after the day that the incident giving rise to the claim occurred”
  25. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.001, checked 2026-11-08. “the time of the disability is not included in a limitations period”
  26. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001, checked 2026-11-08. “a claimant may not recover damages if his percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent”
  27. Hidalgo County, District Clerk's Office, checked 2026-11-09. “Physical Address 100 N. Closner Edinburg, TX 78539 Phone: (956) 318-2200”
  28. Hidalgo County District Attorney, Victims Unit, checked 2026-11-09. “100 East Cano St. Edinburg, TX 78539 956-292-7600”

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