What Are the Signs of Shock After a Car Accident?

What Is Shock After a Car Accident?  

After a car accident, you can suffer physical and emotional symptoms of a condition called shock. This occurs when the body struggles to respond to sudden stress or injury, leading to a series of severe complications that could interfere with your recovery and prevent you from returning to your normal life.

When you experience trauma, your body becomes hyperalert. Blood pumps through your veins faster to get more oxygen and nutrients to your organs, and your nervous system enters the state of fight-or-flight, leading to higher levels of stress hormones.

If you suffer physical trauma, you can experience shock, which is a medical emergency because it involves your body not being able to send blood to vital organs.

What Are the Signs of Shock After a Car Accident?

After car accident shock symptoms can vary.

Physical symptoms include:

• Low blood pressure
• Rapid pulse
• Shallow breathing
• Nausea or vomiting
• Dizziness or fainting
• Clammy or pale skin

There are cognitive and emotional symptoms, too, which include:

• Anxiety or panic
• Confusion
• Numbness
• Detachment
• Mood swings

These symptoms are not always immediately apparent, however, which can delay your treatment.

Why Delayed Shock After a Car Accident Is So Dangerous

After a car accident, you’ll have a significant amount of adrenaline making its way through you. This can mask your injuries, leading you to believe you were not hurt. It can take hours or days before you realize you suffered an injury seriously enough to result in shock.

This is the case even if you sustain a life-threatening injury that leads to internal bleeding or that impacts your brain. You may feel fine after the crash without realizing that your body will soon struggle to get blood to your organs.

That is why getting immediate medical care, even if you feel all right, is so vital.

Types of Shock After a Car Accident

There are a few types of shock you can experience after a car accident. Hypovolemic shock occurs if you suffer severe blood or fluid loss, which drops your blood pressure to dangerous levels.

Neurogenic shock results from spinal cord injury. It is a type of shock that makes it difficult to regulate your heart rate, temperature, and blood pressure because of damage to your nervous system.

Cardiogenic shock involves the heart not being able to pump blood into your organs. Although it most often occurs as a result of heart attacks, trauma can also cause it.

There is also emotional shock. This is a severe emotional response to a traumatic event.

Psychological Shock and PTSD After a Car Accident

Suffering emotional trauma is not often perceived as serious, but it can be. You can develop a life-altering condition, like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can lower your quality of life.

PTSD leads to persistent intrusive memories and thoughts regarding the traumatic event.

You can experience:

• Flashbacks
• Sleep disruptions
• Anxiety and depression
• Avoidance behaviors

PTSD is a treatable condition. Getting help is the best way to understand the problem and start taking steps to resolve it.

Why Getting Medical Care Immediately Matters

After a car accident, you need to receive immediate medical assistance. Medical professionals will be able to spot hidden injuries, which can prevent the development of shock.

Aside from protecting your health, taking this step also protects any future claim you pursue.

You will have clear documentation from early in the process regarding your injuries. You can expect insurance companies to dispute delayed symptoms, so a clear timeline of what you suffered is helpful.

How Shock Can Affect Your Car Accident Claim

The delayed symptoms of shock can mean facing issues with the claim you file. The other party may state that the delayed symptoms have nothing to do with the crash, leading to disputes.

Having an attorney is vital for these cases because they will be able to present a clear idea of how the accident occurred and what you suffered.

What To Do if You or a Loved One Is in Shock

If you notice that your loved one is in shock after being in a car accident, it’s vital to get medical assistance as quickly as possible. Keep an eye on the symptoms and call emergency services if the condition gets worse. Don’t ignore emotional signs of distress, either.

Document everything to help protect your loved one’s claim. Keep track of all expenses and every new symptom your loved one is dealing with. Make sure to also follow up with medical professionals to understand how to better assist the person.

When Should You Contact a Car Accident Lawyer?

Having a car accident lawyer by your side is always important after a crash, but it can be invaluable if you experience delayed symptoms. Insurance companies will do everything they can to dispute what caused these symptoms, so you will need assistance.

An attorney is necessary if you suffered extensive injuries, too, since you will need more significant compensation, which a lawyer can help you fight for.

Additionally, you should contact an attorney as soon as possible if you’re not sure what your next steps should be.

How Bachus & Schanker Can Help

You don’t have to go through the aftermath of a car accident alone. At Bachus & Schanker, our team of attorneys provides the compassionate and comprehensive representation you deserve. We have a tenacious client-first approach that has helped us obtain significant settlements and awards for even the most complex cases.

With our team by your side, you will have a chance to recover full damages to address your medical bills, lost wages, and emotional suffering.

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