The short answer is that you CAN sue for emotional distress after your involvement in a car accident. From a legal standpoint, your ability to receive compensation for emotional distress will hinge upon the ability of your personal injury attorney to demonstrate the negative effect the accident has had on your day-to-day life and your attorney’s ability to construct a strong legal argument for liability that makes it clear your symptoms were directly caused by the other party’s negligence, the crash, and not some other cause.