EFFECTS OF LITIGATION SETTLEMENTS ON POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS SYMPTOMS INMOTOR-VEHICLE ACCIDENT VICTIMS

In order to investigate the effects of the initiation of litigation an d its settlement on victims of motor vehicle accidents (MVAs), we foll owed up 132 MVA victims from an initial assessment I to 4 months post- MVA for 1 year gf the 67 who had initiated litigation, 18 (27%) settle d within the 12 months, while 49 still had litigation pending; 65 neve r initiated litigation. Those who initiated litigation had more severe injuries and higher initial levels of posttraumatic stress (PTS) symp toms. All three groups improved in major role function and had reduced PTS symptoms over the 1 year follow-up. Those whose suits were still pending, as well as those whose suits had been settled showed no reduc tion in measures of anxiety or depression, whereas the nonlitigants di d show improvement on these measures.