Suicide Is Preventable – Know the Signs and Symptoms

Suicide is entirely preventable with the right care, support and diagnosis. No single event or cause needs to be the trigger for suicide, but there are certain symptoms and signs that you can watch out for to prevent suicide.

Suicide Warning Signs

Hopelessness

Often, a sign of suicide can be hopelessness. This can include phrases like “No one will ever understand how sad I feel” or “I will never find love again.” It can also pertain to lack of certainty and sadness toward the future or future plans.

Preparing for the Worst

Preparing for the worst can be an indication of suicide. This means the person may be preparing their will or selling their belongings at what may seem like an odd time in their life. Keep an eye out for behaviors like this.

Dangerous Behavior

Living on the edge or doing “daredevil” activities could be a sign as well. Often, the person could joke about jumping off a bridge without a bungee cord or turning into traffic. This is a huge sign the person may be mentally unstable and may need help.

Recent Trauma

As always, it is good to care closely for someone who has recently experienced trauma. Trauma can trigger a lot of emotions and can sometimes lead to suicidal thoughts. If you have a friend or family member who recently experienced a traumatic experience, try to check in on them frequently.

Withdrawal

Withdrawal is a huge symptom of suicide. It means the person stops communicating with their friends and family or simply goes off the grid for a period of time. It is likely that someone withdrawing may be experiencing depression that could lead to suicide. Try to reach out to anyone who seems like they may be withdrawing to ensure they feel supported and loved.

Depression Or Excessive Sadness

Sadness or depression are definitely symptoms to watch. Extreme depression can cause feelings of hopelessness, loneliness, sadness and may be a sign of suicide. Try to be there for the person through their sadness and talk with them through their problems. You can also recommend seeing a therapist or doctor.

Substance Abuse

Sometimes, extreme substance abuse can be an indication of a bigger problem. Often, depression can be a catalyst for substance abuse and the two partnered together can indicate larger problems. Advise loved ones to get help if they struggle with substance abuse.

And Much More…

Anything from historical factors like a family history of suicide to prolonged stress factors like bullying can be a sign that suicide may be considered or acted upon. Even aggression or oversleeping can indicate a larger problem. More obvious signs could be calling loved ones and saying goodbye or threatening to commit suicide.

What To Do If You Think Someone Is Suicidal

It is said that people with a good support system of friends and family in addition to mental care services have a less likely chance to commit suicide. So, support your friends and family to the best of your ability.

Also, ask for help from others and seek professional help. Remember to take anyone who threatens suicide seriously—it could save their life! Try not to leave the person alone and remove any potentially dangerous objects (such as guns, knives or drugs) from their reach.

If You Or Someone Close To You Needs Immediate Help

Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately. Call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, available 24 hours a day at 1-800-273-8255.

If You Need Legal Help, Look No Further Than GreeningLaw, P.C.

At GreeningLaw, P.C., we have extensive experience in holding mental healthcare providers accountable when suicide or attempted suicide occurs in a healthcare institution. At our firm, our motto is that “we fight the legal battle, so you have time for healing and renewal.” This means we are here for you and your family in time of need. We are sensitive to the many issues that can occur when a family member has been seriously injured or killed, so we represent our clients on a contingency fee basis. This means that you can focus on your family while we take care of the financial commitments of legal action up front. You’ll reimburse us after the settlement and we will walk you through the process. We like to discuss all the details of the process right from the start, so there are no surprises. Our fees are contingent on us winning compensation for you; so our goal is to get you the best compensation possible.

Call (972) 934-8900 for Robert Greening, at any time for a free consultation! He’s here to help and GreeningLaw, P.C. is one of the most recognized law firms when it comes to Personal Injury and Wrongful Death cases.

In a Wreck with a Government Vehicle? Take Action Now or Risk Losing Your Rights

The roads and highways of Texas are traversed by all kinds of vehicles; cars and minivans, pick-ups and commercial trucks. But we also share the road with garbage trucks and police cars; ambulances, school buses, and mail trucks and other kinds of vehicles that are driven by government employees conducting government business.

If you get injured in an accident with a government vehicle and want to seek compensation for your injuries, the rules that apply are more complicated and the time limits in which you need to file a claim are shorter than those that apply when you get into an accident with another private vehicle.

If you don’t know the rules or if you miss the tight deadlines for notifying the government of your claim, you could lose your right to any recovery at all.

Governments are Treated Differently for Personal Injury Claims

As is the case in so many other aspects of the law, federal, state, and local governments and employees are treated differently when it comes to personal injury claims. For centuries, a legal concept known as “sovereign immunity” meant that the government and its employees were immune from any liability for injuries they caused if the employees were acting within the scope of their duties when the accident that caused the injuries occurred

Over time, both the federal government and all of the states recognized that sovereign immunity led to unfair results, with injured citizens left out of luck with no chance of getting the compensation and resources they needed to recover from acts of government negligence.

As a result, they passed laws that allowed people to file claims against the government for compensation under specific circumstances. These laws also contain very strict rules about when and how injury claims against the government can be made.

Strict Notice Requirements

The Texas Tort Claims Act governs personal injury claims against Texas state government agencies as well as counties and municipalities. It waives immunity for certain acts, specifically including claims for personal injury or death “arising from the operation or use of a motor-driven vehicle or motor-driven equipment” if “the employee would be personally liable to the claimant according to Texas law.”

One of the key differences between injury claims against private citizens and those against the government is that you need to give the government entity or agency a “heads-up” about your injuries and your claim before you can file a lawsuit.

Specifically, a Texas governmental unit is entitled to receive notice of a claim against it not later than six months after the day that the incident giving rise to the claim occurred. The notice must also reasonably describe:

the damage or injury claimed;
the time and place of the incident; and
the incident itself

This six month notice requirement is significantly shorter than the two years Texas law allows for personal injury claims against private individuals. Additionally, some Texas cities have even shorter notice periods, some as short as 90 days from the date of the accident.

Quite simply, you don’t have time to waste after you’ve been injured by a government vehicle.

If you’ve been in an auto accident involving a government vehicle, it is crucial that you contact an experienced Dallas car accident attorney as quickly as possible so they can take the steps necessary to protect your rights and preserve your claim. Please give attorney Robert Greening a call today at (972) 934-8900 or fill out our online form to discuss your case.