Truck accidents are life-altering, both physically and psychologically. The term “truck accident” can include any accident which involves a semi-truck, tractor-trailer, or other large commercial vehicles.
These accidents most commonly occur between a commercial vehicle and passenger car. Large trucks are significantly heavier than passenger vehicles. This fact often causes individuals in passenger vehicles to sustain the majority of injuries.
Common Truck Accident Injuries and Effects
When considering common injuries, it is important to address the whole individual and how they have been affected physically and emotionally. It is essential to examine the pain and suffering the injuries listed below can have both short and long term.
Physical Injuries from Truck Accidents
When an individual is involved in a truck accident, there is an opportunity for many possible physical injuries to occur.
Musculoskeletal Injuries
These internal injuries can involve broken bones and soft tissue injuries to the ligaments, muscles, and tendons. An individual with a musculoskeletal injury may experience pain, lack of energy, and trouble sleeping. Each case is different, and symptoms can vary in level from mild to severe, impacting recovery time.
Back and Neck Injuries
Several neck and back injuries can result from truck accidents. A typical example is whiplash, which is from forceful, rapid movement of the head. This movement usually causes pain in the neck and shoulders, and in some cases, can even affect the spine. Although most people recover fully from whiplash, some do not.
Spinal Cord Injuries and Paralysis
Injuries to the spinal cord are among those that are life-altering and result from a blow to the spinal cord or surrounding tissues. The effects are often a loss of strength and other bodily functions. Individuals affected by this type of injury tend to need extra support from others.
Nerve Damage
Damage to the nerves can occur in any part of the body, resulting from pressure (possibly due to whiplash) or lacerations. This damage can cause tingling, numbness, and pain in the limbs. Many nerve damage injuries are not entirely curable, but some treatments can help reduce symptoms.
Organ Damage
Puncture wounds are a common cause of organ damage during high impact accidents. The effects of organ damage can be internal bleeding and failure to function at the proper level. This internal organ injury can be fatal if not treated well and promptly.
Concussion
A brain injury occurring from a mild blow to the head, a concussion can occur with or without loss of consciousness. This injury can result in symptoms such as headache, dizziness, and lack of cognitive function. Recovery depends on the individual, as most people can recover in a matter of days, but some may take much longer.
Traumatic Brain Injury
Many traumatic brain injuries result from automobile and truck accidents. That is because this type of injury is caused when individuals strike their heads at a high impact. Traumatic brain injuries can cause many physical symptoms, as well as mental confusion. Depending on the level of head trauma experienced, individuals may experience good recovery but can also experience long term effects.
Psychological Injuries from Truck Accidents
Experiencing a truck accident is a traumatic life event. Aside from physical injuries, there may be many other ongoing issues.
Financial Loss
Medical debt incurred, lost income from time away from work, and reduced earning capacity can contribute to financial loss. Not only are there new and unexpected bills to pay, but also a further lack of funds.
Emotional Distress
It can be challenging to recover mentally from a traumatic event. New conditions may arise, such as anxiety and stress as a result. Some cases may even experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It can become hard to perform day to day functions that were once normal, such as driving a vehicle.
Loss of Quality of Life
All of the injuries listed above severely impact the ability to have an overall good quality of life. Chronic pain, financial loss, and emotional distress all play a part in this reduction.
Next Steps: Get Help from a Trusted Truck Accident Attorney
The experience of being in a truck accident can cause serious injuries; the ones listed above are, to name a few. When should you seek monetary compensation? If you have been involved in a truck accident and have determined that the truck driver or trucking company is responsible.
Trucking companies are often heavily insured, though they are never eager to settle. It is essential to file your case correctly to get compensation for your injuries and expenses. For this reason, it is a good idea to hire an experienced truck accident lawyer. Getting full payment is likely so long as you go about filing your case correctly.
Strickland & Kendall offer unparalleled legal services to all of our clients, as our way of using what we know to give back to the community.
If you were injured and believe you have a claim, we encourage you to reach out to our legal team at 334.269.3230 to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.