Certain parts of the body can be slow to produce the symptoms that signal the presence of an injury. In addition, the body itself can prepare for the possible need to run away from a dangerous situation. Victims that understand the biology behind a delayed reaction can have a better answer, if an insurer asks why an injury-associated pain had not been felt on the day of the accident.
The body’s natural response to a stressful situation
Every individual responds to stress by developing the ability to fight or take flight. Specific chemicals inside of the body provide it with that ability. There are two types of such chemicals: adrenaline and endorphins, both of which pour into the bloodstream. Both adrenaline and endorphins can block the body’s ability to feel pain. Freedom from pain enhances a person’s readiness to fight or take flight. Unfortunately, it can also cause an accident victim to feel as though he or she has not suffered any bodily harm.
Understand the nature of the most common, accident-associated injuries
Only periodically does a given accident cause the victim to suffer a broken bone. More often, the harmed tissues are muscles, tendons and ligaments. When harmed, those soft tissues do not produce any immediate symptoms. Slowly, the damaged region starts to hurt, and in some cases bruises appear on the surface of the skin.
Whiplash injuries illustrate perfectly the characteristics of damaged soft tissues; initially, the victim feels all right. The swelling and the associated reduced mobility do not show up until later. Moreover, evidence of the injury does not get revealed in an x-ray. Hence a victim has no pictures that can support claims about a discomfort in the head or neck region.
Brain injuries become almost undetectable
A brain can receive a hit from two directions. It might get damaged by a forceful hit on the skin that covers the skull. Alternately, it might move and hit the inner portion of the skull. That sort of movement can cause a concussion. It can also damage the brain’s inner workings.The symptoms of a concussion appear slowly. Moreover, some of them might be ignored, or mistaken for signs of a less severe problem. The list of such symptoms includes things like mild headaches, blurred vision, nausea, dizziness, inability to think clearly, inability to concentrate, trouble recalling facts, lack of energy and trouble sleeping.
Some of the same symptoms can signal the presence of a neurological problem, resulting from damage to the brain’s working functions. For example, it could be that the brain loses its ability to absorb the produced fluid. That then results in a buildup of fluid within the brain’s ventricles. Irrespective of the level of TBI that the accident victim has endured, it is important to work with a personal injury lawyer in Burnaby to get compensated.