It Could Be Days Before You Realize the Extent of Your Injuries
When people are involved in car accidents, it is not uncommon for them to mistakenly believe they’re not hurt, only for pain to arise days after the accident. Why does this happen? It can be attributed to the hormone adrenaline (epinephrine), which is responsible for the body’s flight or fight response.
Car accidents startle the body and place it in an instant state of stress. Car accidents are sudden and often traumatic, causing the body to flood the system with adrenaline – which increases the heart rate, prepares the body to run at superhuman speed, and masks pain.
Adrenaline Can Mask Pain for Long Periods
What we may not realize is that adrenaline can mask the pain of a car accident for hours, if not days after a accident. Sometimes when victims mistakenly believe they aren’t injured, they tell the at-fault driver or insurance company, “I’m not hurt, I’m fine” but days later, serious, debilitating pain can set in.
If you’re involved in a car accident, save all comments regarding injuries or pain until you’ve been checked out by a medical professional. If you tell the other driver or the insurance company that you’re not injured and later discover that you are, the insurance company can argue that you’re being dishonest. In effect, they will try to devalue your claim because at first you claimed to be injury-free.
See a Doctor Within 24 Hours
We urge auto accident victims to see a doctor within 24 hours of a crash, even if you think you’re fine. A delay in receiving medical treatment can send the wrong message to the insurance company, and can compromise your health if you have a spinal cord injury or a concussion. It’s just not worth the risk.
If you experience any symptoms after a car accident, you have experienced trauma. Medical evaluation is the only way to be sure that all is well. In fact, it’s safer to err on the side of caution because serious head or spinal injuries aren’t always immediately obvious.
Contact Mark W. Malzahn at 763-421-2160 to schedule a free consultation today.