The Newport Beach personal injury law firm of Bisnar Chase is representing a woman who is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD after witnessing the death of her sister who was killed in the Las Vegas shooting. The horrific mass murder occurred on the night of Oct. 1, 2017 when gunman Stephen Paddock opened fire on a crowd of concertgoers at the Route 91 Harvest music festival on the Las Vegas Strip leaving 58 people dead and 851 injured. Paddock reportedly fired more than 1,100 rounds from his suite on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel and later killed himself. Paddock’s motive is still unknown.
While families of those who were killed are dealing with their loss and grief, those who were injured and hundreds of others like our client who witnessed this nightmarish incident and watched loved ones die before their own eyes, are still going through the emotional trauma as they relive that horrific night over and over again.
Little Help for the Emotionally Traumatized
A recent NPR report states that while a Las Vegas Victims Fund that was set up in the aftermath of the tragedy has been helping victims and families that have lost loved ones, those who have suffered emotional trauma are not getting much assistance. And if you think emotional trauma doesn’t devastate lives you are mistaken. The NPR report gives the example of a businesswoman who was a take-charge businesswoman with a boot accessories company before the shooting.
Now, she says, she is overwhelmed even by small tasks and is thinking about shutting down the company. She says she cannot go around the country and comfortably do festivals anymore. Setting up the booth for her product is a trigger and country music is also a trigger for those horrible memories, she says. The woman says she believes anywhere she goes something catastrophic like the Las Vegas shooting can happen, and that prevents her from living her life.
Whether or not a trauma survivor is diagnosed with PTSD, they may share a number of symptoms after the incident including difficulty going to sleep or trouble concentrating. They may be easily startled or constantly have nightmares. Many have flashbacks or replay the memory on a loop. Survivors’ guilt is also a common occurrence. These survivors may experience emotions such as fear, anger, anxiety and sadness, and may not be able to trust even close friends or family members.
Assistance for Victims
Our personal injury lawyers are going to fight hard for our client who we believe deserves to be compensated so she can get the treatment she needs and move on with her life. While it is important that those who have suffered horrible physical injuries be taken care of in such tragic scenarios, we cannot ignore those who have been emotionally traumatized because they have suffered devastating repercussions as well.
Sources: https://www.npr.org/2018/01/20/578888128/victims-of-las-vegas-shooting-we-need-more-help
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2017/10/05/las-vegas-survivors-ptsd/726748001/
