Common truck accident Injuries should not be taken lightly. Any accident between a passenger car and a large truck can be catastrophic. Semi-trucks dwarf cars, and the size discrepancy alone between vehicles is enough to create a horrific accident. Heavy-duty tractor-trailers can legally weigh up to 80,000 pounds while the average car weighs around 4,000 pounds. But it’s also the cargo that big trucks carry that can lead to damage, injury, and even death.
Some common truck accident injuries mirror common car accident injuries, but no matter what kind of truck accident you experience, it’s essential that you not refuse medical treatment. A complete medical evaluation will help detect traumas that are not immediately obvious, such as a traumatic brain injury.
The likelihood of the car driver and its passengers suffering serious injuries increases whenever they are involved in an accident with a large truck, whereas truck drivers may not experience any injuries at all because they are riding much higher from the ground. The National Institute of Traffic and Highway Safety reports that nearly three-quarters of all truck accident injuries and deaths are suffered by the people in the vehicle hit by the truck.
Visit our Truck Accident Law Office
Here are just some of the common truck accident injuries you could sustain:
- Traumatic Brain Injuries
You need not slam your head into any part of your vehicle to suffer a traumatic brain injury. The impact alone of a truck colliding with a passenger vehicle produces enough force to result in serious injury to the brain. TBIs are often not evident right after a truck accident, which is why it is essential to undergo a medical evaluation. TBIs may present as blurred vision, nausea, ringing ears, short-term memory problems, or other cognitive problems. About 80 percent of mild TBIs resolve in several months, but about 20 percent are permanent and life-altering. - Broken Bones
The blunt force trauma that is at play in a truck accident can easily lead to broken or completely shattered bones. A complete crushed bone or one that is broken into more than two pieces is common in truck accidents because of the massive force of impact. Bone fractures can occur anywhere on the body, from face to hands, ribs to arms, knees to feet. - Burns
Burns are more commonly found in truck accidents than in collisions between passenger vehicles. There is a greater chance of a large truck’s fuel tank rupturing or causing a vehicle to catch on fire, which could lead to serious, disfiguring burns to the skin. - Seatbelt and Airbag Injuries
The very items in your vehicle that are designed to protect you in case of a truck accident or car accident are actually the elements that could cause your injuries. Seatbelts are intended to confine your chest and abdomen, which could lead to broken ribs or crushed organs, so that the occupants of the car are not thrown around the inside of the vehicle or ejected from it. And airbags deploy with such speed that they are liable to cause trauma to the head or hands. It is important to remember that while there is potential for the safety mechanisms to cause injury, it is far more dangerous to go without a seatbelt or to disengage your airbag. - Amputation
In severe truck accidents, it is possible for limbs or extremities to be amputated in the collision. It is also possible that, because of being crushed or burned, arms, legs, hands, or feet may have to be amputated. - Neck, Back, and Spinal Cord Injuries
The force that hits drivers and passengers at the moment of impact in a truck accident can lead to serious back, neck, and spinal cord injuries, such as damaged discs or even a broken back. Whiplash occurs when the neck vertebrae are thrust forward and back suddenly, straining the neck muscles and ligaments. The spinal cord is located within the vertebrae and, if damaged, it can cause weakness, numbness, and even paralysis – temporary or permanent. The side effects of any neck or back injury can be so painful and debilitating it is possible that sufferers will be unable to carry out typical daily activities or continue working. - Internal Injuries and Abdominal Injuries
The crushing force of a truck slamming into a vehicle or the resistance of a seat belt are just two of the results of a truck accident that can lead to internal injuries. The liver, spleen, bladder, kidneys, and pancreas are often most greatly affected. The rib cage protects the body’s vital organs, like the heart and lungs, which can be punctured should the ribs be broken or compromised, or should the body be crushed. - Lacerations and Cuts
The last type of Common Truck Accident Injuries is flying debris, breaking glass, airborne elements within a vehicle, impact with a static object – any of these factors can lead to cuts and lacerations on the face and body in a truck accident. While these injuries might seem minor compared to a concussion or damaged spine, the body can become severely disfigured or infected as a result of cuts or lacerations. Think about the eye being sliced by glass, or the jugular vein being pierced by a piece of unrestrained plastic.
Contact an Experienced Michigan Truck Accident Attorney
If you are injured in an accident with a truck, you should only utilize a lawyer with lengthy experience in truck cases.
Trucking lawsuits are very different than car crashes and require special expertise.
David Christensen has twenty-five years’ experience in suing trucking companies. He has obtained the largest jury verdict for a trucking accident occurring on a Michigan road.
