Can I Include Mental Health Therapy Costs in My Personal Injury Claim?

As the month of May serves as a reminder for Mental Health Awareness, it’s important to remember that mental and emotional injuries can be compensated for after a serious accident. Under SC Code of Laws Title 15-32-210, noneconomic damages include, but are not limited to, pain and suffering, mental anguish, and emotional distress. 

A serious car wreck or catastrophic injury not only affects the person who suffered physical harm, but also affects an injured person’s spouse, children, parents, and family caregivers, who all feel the impact. Losing a loved one cuts deep, and the fear of nearly losing one cuts deep, too. 

At Steinberg Law Firm, we understand that health works as a unit. Mind and body are connected. That’s why we’re committed to supporting our clients as whole people throughout their recovery. Seeking therapy costs in a South Carolina personal injury claim is part of that essential work. 

The Emotional and Psychological Toll of Serious Injuries

A serious accident puts serious stress on both body and mind. Afterward, the body needs to heal, and the mind must come to terms with what happened. Anxiety, depression, disrupted sleep, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are all common after a serious accident. 

These effects aren’t limited to those who suffered injuries, either. The loss or near-loss of a loved one can leave family members with secondary trauma and grief as well. Watching a loved one struggle can cause anxiety (how can I possibly help?) or depression (will this ever get better?). Financial stress after an accident can weigh on the entire family, changing relationships and putting plans on hold. 

Imagine, for example, a serious car crash that kills one parent and injures the other. Both the surviving parent and their children must navigate grief over the loss of their loved one. The surviving parent may worry about whether their injuries will heal, how their children will handle this tragedy, and how they’ll pay the bills. The kids face stress and uncertainty as well. Maybe they have to live with their grandparents for a while, always wondering whether their remaining parent will make it home from the hospital. The grandparents worry about their grandchildren and their child; they also mourn. 

Therapy and Mental Health Treatment After an Accident

The terms “therapy” and “mental health treatment” often combine several options under a single term. These terms make it easier to talk about care for mental health, but they can make it harder to understand what’s out there – and what works after an accident.

Common types of therapy and mental health support that can help someone after a serious accident include:

• Counseling: Speaking to a licensed professional counselor can help people work through their anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, and other symptoms in a controlled, safe environment.
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): According to a February 2025 Mayo Clinic article, CBT helps people identify thinking patterns that aren’t serving them. It provides tools to explore these thoughts, so you can choose ways of thinking that serve you better.
• Support Groups: Support groups bring together people who have suffered similar accidents or losses. Sharing experiences and hearing you’re not alone can be a powerful tool for recovery.
• Medication: Medications for anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and other needs can be an important treatment tool for some people. 

Mental health treatment still suffers from undeserved stigma. Many people believe it’s better to “tough it out” than to seek help. In fact, getting help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Admitting you need assistance, accepting it, and working through the problems takes courage and resilience. Just as you wouldn’t try to “walk off” a broken leg, it’s important not to “walk off” mental or emotional challenges, either. 

Including Therapy Costs in a South Carolina Personal Injury Claim

If you’re injured in a crash, you can get compensation for all your injuries. This includes your emotional distress and mental health needs, as well as physical harm. South Carolina law generally allows injured people to seek both economic damages (such as medical expenses and lost wages for physical harm) and non-economic damages (such as pain and suffering or emotional distress) in a personal injury claim, though certain caps may apply depending on the type of case.

Mental health treatment is a recognized professional medical field, and under federal law, many mental health treatments must be covered comparably to physical health treatments when a health plan offers such benefits. However, coverage parity is not universal; federal parity law does not require plans to offer mental health benefits at all, and certain plan types are exempt. In South Carolina, additional limitations may apply depending on the type and size of the insurance plan. 

Common mental health bills covered by personal injury claims include:

• Individual therapy,
• Couples and family therapy,
• Medical appointments with psychologists and psychiatrists,
• Medication prescribed for psychological health needs. 

Mental health and physical health have one more thing in common. When it comes to your personal injury case, documentation matters. Medical records, therapists’ notes, care provider statements, and similar documents help show that the accident created your need for treatment. 

Don’t dismiss these losses as “just emotional” – and don’t let an insurance company dismiss them either. These damages are real and recoverable. Emotional and mental health affect your daily functioning just as physical injuries do. When anxiety, depression, grief, or post-traumatic stress interfere with your day-to-day life, you need compensation. 

How The Personal Injury Claims Process Works

Claims for mental health care require documentation, just like personal injury claims. Start by talking to a compassionate personal injury attorney. Your lawyer will help you make sure your mental health needs aren’t overlooked. 

To document and support your claim: 

• Keep notes. Keeping a journal can help you track symptoms over time. If you learn new skills in therapy, you can test them and write down the results. Even a simple “mood tracker” app can be useful. 
• Document your daily life. In your journal or app, note how your symptoms affect your daily life. For example, if you have trouble getting into a car after the accident, write down each day and time you try, how you feel, and the impact of that delay. Were you unable to pick up groceries because driving was overwhelming? Did you have to pull over for a moment before going through a particular intersection? Keep notes. 
• Get mental health evaluations. Talk to a professional. If you’re not sure where to find a therapist, start by talking to your primary care provider. A professional’s notes can also help track your progress over time – and their care can help you get well. 

At the Steinberg Law Firm, we welcome our clients as people – not numbers. We combine compassion and understanding with tenacious advocacy and deep understanding of the law. It’s how we build strong cases for therapy and emotional distress damages. We can also help family members and caregivers navigate claims for compensation. 

Compassion, Recovery, and Support: The Steinberg Law Firm Difference

You’re not a number. You’re not paperwork. You’re a person. That’s why emotional and psychological challenges weigh so heavily on your life, and it’s why Steinberg Law Firm is committed to a holistic approach to our clients. 

We’re here to support our clients through the ups and downs of the recovery process. From dealing with physical injuries to tackling emotional recovery, we’ll help you get the compensation you need. We’ll look at all your losses, and we’ll make sure insurance companies and courts take you into account – as a whole person. 

You’re not alone. You have the right to seek help. You have the right to get compensation for your pain. And you have the right to hold negligent parties accountable. The Steinberg Law Firm can help. Contact us today to learn more. 

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