Common Truck Accident Injuries

Motor vehicle accidents are always upsetting and stressful. But it’s terrifying when they involve an 80,000-pound commercial truck. The severity and violence of these accidents make injuries all too common, and these injuries can have long-lasting, life-altering effects.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a truck accident, it’s understandable that your life might feel like it’s been turned upside down. Here we’ll discuss some of the most common injuries caused by truck accidents, and we’ll also go into detail about your legal options.

Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) can be challenging to diagnose in some cases. If you have a mild TBI, the symptoms could include dizziness, nausea, headaches, and slurred speech. However, a more serious TBI can cause long-term memory, cognitive, and motor deficits. The most severe TBIs can be fatal. People with severe head injuries require intensive medical care that may require millions of dollars over the course of their lives.

Spinal Cord Injury

A severe, sudden impact in a tractor-trailer wreck could damage your spinal cord when vertebrae are crushed, broken, or pushed out of alignment. Some truck accident and car accident victims can be left partially or totally paralyzed.

If you are paralyzed from a truck crash, you could need hundreds of thousands in medical care every year for life. For example, low tetraplegia costs $840,000 for the first year and about $123,000 for every subsequent year. Paraplegia may cost $567,000 for the first year and $75,000 for every year after.

Broken Bones

Broken bones — especially ribs, arms, legs, hands, and feet — often happen in truck accidents. Some broken bones can heal well after the accident, but others may take months or even years of recovery. These injuries can be hairline, stress, or compound fractures. Sometimes limbs are crushed, leaving the bones shattered, which may require multiple surgeries to repair.

Wrist Injuries

The wrists are delicate and can be easily damaged in a severe truck accident impact. Your hands and wrists could slam into the steering wheel, dashboard, windows, or airbag. This can cause many severe wrist injuries, including:

• Fractures to the scaphoid bone, knuckles, and fingers
• Dislocated wrist and hand joints
• Sprains
• Ligament tears
• Crush injuries
• Tendon tears

Burns

Semi-trucks have large fuel tanks, so there is a high risk of fire or explosion after a crash. If there is an explosion, you could suffer burns. Some minor burns will heal over weeks and months, but severe burns can be fatal.

Internal Bleeding

Truck accident victims may have cuts and lacerations from broken glass and metal. There also could be severe internal bleeding from damaged organs, veins, and arteries. You may feel fine after the accident, but internal blood loss could cause severe injury or even death over time. Internal bleeding after truck crashes is especially common with the liver, spleen, intestines, and pancreas.

The difficulty in detecting internal bleeding injuries is why you should always go to the ER after a truck or car accident. Delaying medical care could threaten your life.

Back Injuries

Even if the spine itself isn’t damaged, other back injuries can leave you overwhelmed with pain and medical bills. These might include:

• Herniated spinal discs. This injury happens when the truck impact tears the soft discs between the vertebrae. A herniated disc is usually very painful and could cause limb numbness and weakness.
• Compression fractures. This happens when the crash impact crushes back vertebrae. You can have tremendous pain and nerve damage even if it does not affect the spinal cord.
• Sprains and strains. Many truck accident victims sprain or strain their backs or necks. These are soft-tissue injuries but can take a long time to heal.

Limb Loss and Amputation

Some truck crash victims have an arm, leg, hand, or foot mangled or crushed in the collision. Others may lose a limb by amputation when it cannot be saved after the accident. If you lose a limb in the accident, you could be eligible for considerable compensation for loss of enjoyment of life and pain and suffering.

Why You Need A Truck Accident Lawyer

Truck accident injuries can be especially severe requiring lengthy, expensive hospital stays, multiple surgeries, or visits to specialists. You may be in substantial pain and might lose weeks or months of income.

You’ll need a skilled, aggressive truck accident attorney to fight for the compensation you deserve. The insurance company may attempt to call you and offer a small settlement, but don’t listen to them. Only an experienced truck accident attorney can get what you’re owed after a truck crash.

Speak To A Maryland Truck Accident Lawyer Today

After a tractor-trailer crash, you could be overwhelmed with severe injuries. If you don’t know how to pay your medical bills or lost wages, an experienced personal injury attorney can help you secure the compensation you need from the negligent trucker or employer. Call Pinder Plotkin today for a free consultation about your truck crash case.