When someone is involved in a car crash, they don’t always realize how seriously injured they are. This can happen for a number of reasons.
Some injuries are internal, so there may not be visible signs of injury, like cuts or burns. People naturally focus on obvious injuries like those as well as broken bones and dislocations.
Another factor that often masks injuries after a collision or other traumatic event is adrenaline. Adrenaline can mask symptoms of serious injuries for hours or even days, including traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal injuries and whiplash
How does adrenaline affect the body?
Most people have heard about adrenaline, but fewer know just what it is. It’s a hormone produced by the adrenal glands. When a traumatic event occurs, it goes through the body, causing physiological changes that are linked to the “fight-or-flight” response.
Adrenaline prepares the body to respond to the perceived danger by increasing heart rate and blood pressure, sending more blood to the muscles and expanding airways in the lungs.
It also lessens the body’s ability to perceive pain as it prepares it for “fight-or-flight.” Even if that temporary suppression of pain only lasts for a few hours, it can be long enough for someone to decide they don’t need an ambulance or even to see a doctor on their own later that day or the next.
By the time a person has calmed down enough to begin to feel pain, a serious injury could become potentially fatal. Internal bleeding is one example.
Immediate medical evaluation can be key to getting fair compensation
Even if the injuries that adrenaline masks aren’t serious enough to be potentially fatal, by not seeing a doctor right away, people run the risk of not being able to adequately be able to link those injuries – and the cost of their treatment to the crash. This can make it more difficult to seek needed compensation from an at-fault driver.
By getting an immediate medical evaluation after a crash, people can get a clear picture of the full extent of the injuries caused by the crash and the medical documentation needed to get the maximum possible compensation for medical treatment and other expenses and damages. Getting early and experienced legal guidance can also make a big difference