The number of fatal accidents involving large trucks has been on the rise in recent years. The sheer size difference between a semi-truck and a normal passenger vehicle—with the average semi tipping the scale at about 80,000 pounds versus the average car weighing in at less than 3,000 pounds—means that injuries sustained in truck accidents are bound to be severe and devastating.
If you or a loved one has suffered any of the following common truck accident injuries, a truck accident lawyer can help you receive the compensation you deserve.
Broken Bones
The tremendous size and massive force of semi-trucks means that victims of truck accidents are more likely to incur broken bones than victims of regular car wrecks. Broken bones may not be the most severe type of truck accident injury, but they can still be debilitating.
In order to heal properly, broken bones typically require surgery, physical therapy, and a lengthy recovery period. Even after the broken bone heals, your mobility and range of motion might be permanently altered, which can affect your ability to work or do other normal tasks.
Back And Neck Injuries
The severe impact that occurs during a semi-truck accident often causes whiplash, which is when the head and neck are suddenly forced backwards before snapping forward. Whiplash causes pain, stiffness, and decreased range of motion in the neck or shoulders, and sometimes causes headaches and dizziness as well. Whiplash typically resolves on its own within a few weeks, but it can occasionally lead to chronic neck pain.
Forceful impact from a truck accident can also cause muscle strain or sprains, injuries to the soft tissues of the back and neck, injuries to tendons and ligaments, bulging or herniated discs in the back, and pinched nerves. In severe cases, paralysis can occur if the victim’s spinal cord was damaged or torn.
Head Injuries
Along with paralysis, head injuries are some of the most devastating types of injuries that can result from semi-truck accidents. Blunt force trauma to the head can cause concussions and traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs. The extent of a TBI can vary greatly depending on the level of impact the victim suffered.
TBIs can cause chronic headaches, confusion, memory loss, issues with sleep, fatigue, nausea, problems with vision, and mood changes. Head injuries are especially dangerous because they are not always immediately apparent, and symptoms that may seem minor can actually indicate a more serious problem that can alter someone’s quality of life forever.
Lacerations
Truck accidents lead to lacerations when materials are jettisoned into the air from the force of the crash. Pieces of either vehicle involved in the accident, shattered glass, shards of metal, debris from the accident scene, and even seatbelts can all cause lacerations. Face and scalp lacerations are especially common in truck accidents since these areas are more exposed than other areas of the body. Lacerations can cause deep scars, puncture wounds, and permanent disfigurement.
Burns
Large trucks sometimes transport flammable cargo, meaning that they are more likely to explode or combust upon impact. As a result, burns are unfortunately quite common in truck accidents. In addition to burns caused by combustion or explosion, victims can also incur burns from hot metal, steam from vehicle radiators, or even friction burns from being ejected out of their vehicle and hitting the pavement. Burns are very serious as they are highly susceptible to infection, often require extensive plastic surgery to treat, and commonly result in permanent disfigurement.
Truck accidents can cause life-altering physical injuries and severe emotional anguish. If you or a family member have been the victim of a truck accident, contact a truck accident attorney who can help you get justice.
