Four Common Truck Accident Injuries
Over 4,000 people die in large truck crashes each year, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, with non-truck-occupants being the predominant victims. In only 16 percent of fatal large truck collisions is the truck driver—or other truck occupants—killed. Because of the vast size difference between an 18-wheeler and a passenger vehicle—not to mention a pedestrian, motorcyclist, or bicyclist—the injuries that non-truck-occupants face are often extreme. Due to distracted driving, intoxication, drowsy driving, improperly loaded vehicles, and other forms of careless or reckless driving, tens of thousands of Americans are critically injured by drivers of large trucks every year. Below are a few of the most serious and common types of injuries, most of which occur in conjunction with other injuries.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Traumatic brain injury or TBI occurs when the brain is rocked, jostled, or slammed around inside the skull. Recovering from a TBI can take anywhere from a few weeks to years, though in many cases the damage is permanent and the victim never fully recovers from the injury. In severe cases, traumatic brain injury causes memory loss, vision impairment, confusion, emotional disorders, loss of cognitive function, and imbalance. TBI can also result in death.
Neck, Back, and Spinal Cord Injuries
The neck and back are vulnerable to serious damage in truck collisions. This includes soft tissue injury to the neck, such as whiplash; herniated discs; muscle and tendon strains; fractured vertebrae in the neck or back, and spinal cord injury, which results in temporary or permanent numbness, weakness, loss of feeling, and/or paralysis. All of these neck and back injuries can be extremely severe, and any injury to the neck or back requires immediate medical attention. The most serious type of truck collision injury is spinal cord damage. Traffic collisions are the leading cause of traumatic spinal cord injury, according to research, and the lifetime cost of any spinal cord injury is typically well into the seven digits.
Fractured Arm, Leg, or Hip
Passenger vehicles are designed to crumple around the occupants in order to absorb some of the impact from the crash. While this may save an occupant’s life, it often means sacrificing the well-being of a limb. Fractured arms and legs are common in large truck crashes, as are fractured hips. A fractured hip can occur when the lower dashboard—pushed inwards due to the crumple zone—impacts the knees, causing tremendous force on the hips. Unfortunately, in crashes that involve severe fractures, there are generally other substantial injuries as well, including TBI and back and neck injuries, as well as lacerations, contusions, and more.
Our Orlando Large Truck Collision Injury Lawyers Can Help You Today
Being the victim of a large truck collision is a traumatic experience. If you were injured in any type of truck crash, our experienced Orlando personal injury attorneys with the Payer Law can help you receive the compensation that you need to make as much of a recovery as possible. Trucking companies generally have large insurance policies, which means that you could receive a substantial payout. However, the at-fault party’s insurance company will fight for every penny that you are owed, which is why you need an attorney on your side. Call us today at 866-930-1238 to schedule a free consultation.
Resources:
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18756914
iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/large-trucks
/explaining-the-difference-between-economic-and-non-economic-damages/
