If you guess wrong on this, you can lose the claim entirely. In Maryland, the usual deadline to file a crash lawsuit is 3 years from the accident date, and once that runs, the insurer can stop negotiating because your leverage is gone.

The common wrong answer is: "If I didn't get mental health treatment right away, I can't claim PTSD now." That is not automatically true.

The correct answer is: you may still have a valid Maryland claim two years later, especially if your PTSD, anxiety, or depression grew worse over time after the crash. What matters is whether you are still within the 3-year filing period and can connect the condition to the accident with solid evidence.

In Maryland, you usually do not bring a separate stand-alone claim for emotional distress from a car crash. Instead, PTSD and related conditions are part of your personal injury damages. That means you need proof, not just your own description.

Strong evidence includes:

• Diagnosis from a psychologist, psychiatrist, therapist, or primary care doctor
• Treatment records showing panic, nightmares, driving fear, depression, insomnia, or medication
• Work records showing missed shifts, reduced hours, write-ups, or lost income
• Family or coworker observations showing how you changed after the wreck
• A timeline tying symptoms to the crash, not just to tax-season money stress or other life events

This matters even more if you are the only paycheck in the house. In Prince George's County, a College Park crash claim can include therapy bills, medication costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering if the evidence is strong.

Act now. Get your treatment records together, confirm the exact crash date, and do not let the 3-year Maryland deadline pass while the insurer keeps acting like invisible injuries do not count.