Each year, approximately 40,000 people are killed in car accidents. Here in Illinois, fatal crashes are responsible for killing more than 1,300 people annually, making the state the eighth highest in vehicle deaths. Fortunately, not all crashes are fatal ones, however, with an estimated 7 million car accidents occurring each year, hundreds of thousands of motorists are left injured. These injuries can range from catastrophic to mild. What many people involved in accidents do not realize is that even an apparent minor crash can result in serious injuries. This is why it is important for anyone involved in a car accident to seek medical attention right away. As an Illinois personal injury attorney can explain, failure to do so can jeopardize any car accident claim you may want to pursue.
Fight or Flight
As anyone who has been in a car accident can likely attest, even a minor crash can be an emotionally jarring experience. The sounds of squealing tires, crunching metal, and smashed glass as the vehicles make impact – as well as the force of that impact – can be frightening, putting the body into a fight or flight response. This response is an automatic physiological reaction that is part of the human evolutional process. If the body perceives a threat, the nervous system is activated, triggering a stress response and alerting the body to get ready to fight or flee the situation.