I have a question for someone with medical education/background/training ... when a person is traumatized, say, in a serious auto accident or seriously injured somehow, does the body go into shock and dull the pain at all?

I watched something horrific on TV recently [not on purpose, it just came up! UGH] and I started to wonder about this.

Does the person go in to shock?  Not always.  For example, we had an 18 year old with a crushed in chest from slamming in to the steering wheel, which was actually bent, during an auto accident.  He was not in shock.

As for the pain, yes the body will release endorphins to help counter the pain.  But they can only do so much to control pain.