Commercial trucks weigh much more than passenger vehicles (up to 80,000 pounds with a full load), so when collisions occur, severe injuries are common. In one year, more than 117,000 large trucks were involved in crashes that caused injury, and that number has been on an upward trend in recent years (National Safety Council). Our Pensacola personal injury lawyers explain some of the most common truck accident injuries that victims suffer.
Head and Brain Injuries
Head injuries may include skull fractures, facial injuries, dental damage, eye damage, or vision/hearing loss.
Crash victims can also suffer traumatic brain injuries of varying severity. Examples of TBIs include:
- Concussions
- Brain hemorrhage
- Hematoma
- Brain contusions
- Penetrating brain injuries
- Diffuse axonal injuries
Although mild TBIs heal in a few days or weeks, more severe injuries require medical intervention and may leave a person with permanent physical or cognitive disabilities.
Spinal Cord Injuries
The violent forces in a truck accident can also damage the spinal column or spinal cord, resulting in fractured or displaced vertebrae or, more commonly, herniated disc injuries. In severe cases, this damage can lead to paralysis or other mobility issues.
The extent of paralysis caused by spinal cord injuries depends on the severity and location of the damage. Complete spinal cord injuries cut off all signals to and from the brain, whereas incomplete spinal cord injuries do not. Those who suffer incomplete spinal cord injuries may retain some feeling and function. The location of the injury determines how much of the body becomes paralyzed, as only the parts of the body below the site of damage are directly affected.
Broken Bones
The forces in a truck collision frequently cause bone fractures like:
- Hairline (stress) fractures
- Greenstick/incomplete fractures
- Spiral fractures
- Compression fractures
- Comminuted (fragmented) fractures
- Segmental fractures
Severe broken bone injuries may involve compound fractures, in which bone fragments break through the skin or a deep cut exposes the bone.
Wrongful Death
In a recent year, nearly 6,000 Americans died in crashes involving large trucks. The extreme force unleashed when a truck strikes a smaller vehicle is more likely to cause life-threatening injuries than a collision involving strictly passenger cars. Any truck accident injury to the spinal cord could prove fatal. Other common life-threatening injuries include internal organ damage, internal bleeding, and traumatic amputation/dismemberment.
Lacerations
Truck crashes can also cause lacerations, which are severe cuts. Lacerations may occur when a vehicle occupant strikes the inside of the vehicle, such as hitting a side pillar or the steering wheel. Shrapnel or flying debris generated by the crash, including broken window glass, can also lacerate vehicle occupants. Lacerations can lead to potentially fatal blood loss and, even if promptly treated, can result in disfiguring scars.
Burns
Damage to flammable fuel and battery systems can cause explosions and fires that, in turn, result in burns. These injuries can be particularly severe and debilitating, requiring extensive surgery to address.
Contact Our Truck Accident Attorneys to Learn More
If you’ve suffered truck accident injuries for which someone else is to blame, get experienced legal help to pursue the money you need to rebuild your life. Contact Cardoso Law, PLLC, today for a free, no-obligation consultation with our truck accident lawyer to discuss your legal options for holding a negligent truck driver or trucking company accountable for what they cost you.