In accidents or illnesses from car collisions, slip and falls, sports incidents, toxic environments, and dangerous products, injuries may not be initially obvious.
Personal Injury and Adrenaline
For instance, when a body or head suffers an impact against a hard object or sudden movement, though there may be no external injuries, internal damage may not be immediately apparent. When a person is physically hurt, the body typically surges with adrenaline (epinephrine), dopamine, and norepinephrine which protect the body from immediately feeling pain.
In shock, the body naturally releases these “feel good,” protective neurochemicals to delay the experience of pain.
Many times, a person who doesn’t have obvious or severe external injuries after an accident may not feel pain or be entirely aware of physical damage. But after the protective neurochemicals subside, which may take days before they return to a normal state, serious injuries may become apparent. With internal damage, head trauma, muscle, tendon, ligament, spine, nerve pain, or cognitive impairment may not manifest for days, weeks, or even months.
Louisiana Statute of Limitations for Undiagnosed Injuries
Because these injuries may go initially undiagnosed, it may appear that the Louisiana statute of limitations one-year filing deadline was missed. However, the law extends beyond the injury accident to one year after the discovery of an injury.
Seek Medical Treatment After an Accident
After an accident, you should seek immediate medical help. If no severe injury is diagnosed by a medical professional, it doesn’t mean you are not seriously injured. But not seeing a doctor immediately may lead the at-fault party’s insurance company or attorney to fight a claim. And if you’re experiencing pain or disabling symptoms sometime after, you should seek another medical evaluation.
Contact Greenwald Law Firm for Non-Immediate Injury Help
If you’ve been injured because of the reckless, negligent or careless conduct of another in Shreveport or Bossier City, call Shreveport personal injury attorney Joseph Greenwald, Jr. at 318-219-7867 at his conveniently located Shreveport office to request a free consultation today!
