Anytime a semi-truck veers off course, a truck colliding with another vehicle or object can cause significant damage. The truck driver’s negligence or that of the commercial truck company can place occupants in an average passenger vehicle at considerable risk.
Because of the sheer weight and size of freight vehicles, occupants in smaller passenger vehicles are far more vulnerable than truck drivers. Truck accident injuries are usually quite serious. In most instances, the force of a truck collision causes fatal crashes or serious truck accident injuries.
The smartest choice a truck accident victim can make to protect their rights is to consult with a veteran truck accident attorney. At Ehline Law, our practice is devoted to assisting injured victims. We have helped broken families throughout Northern, Central, and Southern California.
Adept in the germane local, state, and federal truck transportation law, our paralegals, clerks, and lawyers have a proven track record for helping truck accident victims obtain substantial compensation.
Whether you have broken bones, spinal cord injuries, back and neck injuries, or permanent disability, our truck accident lawyers fight on your behalf over common truck accident injuries.
Nationwide Truck Accident Statistics
Truck accidents are more likely to result in severe injuries than typical car-on-car accidents. Here are some truck accident statistics in the United States that you should know about common truck accident injuries.
The Death Toll for Truck Accidents
In their latest study, truck accident injuries accounted for eight percent of all road fatalities and 3% percent of car accident injuries in the United States. Approximately three-quarters of all truck accident deaths and harm are to occupants in the vehicle hit by the truck. (NHTSA).
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, there were 3,986 severe cases involving deaths in heavy truck crashes in 2016. 66% of those fatalities involved occupants of passenger vehicles. In 2019, there were 4,119 deaths. People killed by United States truck accident injuries have grown 31% since 2009 (many involve head injuries and spinal cord injuries in a crushed passenger car.)
Serious Truck Accident Injuries
Several factors influence the annual number of common truck accident injuries. These include driver distraction, increased consumer demands, economic pressures, and not wearing seat belts. Because of their immense weight and size, large truck collisions frequently result in serious injuries.
Over 130,000 common truck accident injuries occur annually in the United States.
Common Truck Accident Injuries
Suppose you have been seriously injured (complete paralysis, various cognitive difficulties from a brain injury, etc.) in a truck accident. In that case, you should contact an experienced truck accident lawyer from Ehline Law Firm. Truck accident attorneys at our firm have convenient office locations throughout the U.S.
These experts can help you get compensation from the responsible parties for unpaid bills and other damages. This is what you rightly deserve from the responsible parties. Our primary task is to hold the negligent party accountable for your common truck accident injuries.
Here are some common truck accident injuries.
Brain, Neck, and Head Injuries
When a car is hit by a semi-trailer tractor truck, the people inside can be flung around the vehicle. In some instances, they can even be hurled out of the car, causing death or mild traumatic brain injury.
Tractor-trailer truck accidents place a person’s head, arms, and torso at risk of colliding with numerous vehicle interior elements. (dashboard or windshield, etc.). Typically, head injuries occur as the head absorbs the brunt of the blow.
In a semi-truck collision, injury to the head in the form of a violent blow or jolt can lead to a brain injury. Brain injuries can be life-changing and may occur even if there is no direct impact on the head as a result of an accident.
Brain, head, and neck injuries aren’t typically apparent immediately; these injuries can occur even if you have not been rendered unconscious.
These traumatic brain injuries are among the most tragic injuries sustained in trucking accidents, as they can result in the loss of cognitive and physical abilities.
Common symptoms associated with head automobile injuries include:
- Confusion
- Cognitive difficulties
- Eye impairments
- Sensitivity to light and sound
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Memory loss
- Slurred speech.
Several types of traumatic brain injuries range from mild to severe injuries. These are concussions, hematomas, hemorrhages, and contusions. (Read more.)
1. Concussions
A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury caused by trauma to the head or a forceful movement of the head and torso. Trauma to the head in the case of a concussion is usually mild but can cause momentary cognitive impairments and loss of consciousness.
Common symptoms of concussions include:
- Headaches
- Confusion
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Loss of coordination
- Trouble sleeping
- Ringing in the ears
- Fatigue.
2. Hematoma
When blood pools outside your brain’s veins and collects under your skin, it’s a hematoma. It may be compared to a regular bruise, except it might happen in the head or the dura and is potentially dangerous.
3. Hemorrhages
These injuries result in bleeding that occurs within the skull of the brain. This bleeding results in more significant pressure in the head that can have catastrophic implications if left untreated.
4. Contusion
A contusion refers to bruised brain tissue caused by tiny hemorrhages that have leaked small blood into the brain. Monitor conditions closely. They can give the impression of good health. Damage occurs gradually. Consequences can be minimized if you seek medical assistance immediately.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Injury to the spinal cord in a truck accident is particularly severe, typically resulting in paralysis. A spinal cord injury may not be evident at first, so you should seek medical assistance as quickly as possible, regardless of how you may feel following a truck accident.
The nerves in your spinal column transport signals from your brain to the other parts of your body, making it the communication highway of your body. When you sustain an injury to the spinal cord, there isn’t always a quick way to treat the resulting complications.
Whiplash
Whiplash involves damage to the soft tissue in the neck. It occurs when the head is abruptly propelled forward in truck accidents and suddenly stops. Whiplash can induce a variety of symptoms, ranging from moderate to severe, such as:
- Loss of sensation and pain in the neck
- Arm and upper body numbness
- Upper-limb aches and pains
- A restriction in the range of movement in the neck
Several treatments, surgical procedures, and physical therapy may often be required for months or even years. Because communication to various parts of the body can be cut off entirely following paralysis truck accident injuries, you may be permanently disabled.
Burns
Another serious injury that can occur following a truck accident is a burn. Because a truck is more significant than a passenger car, it often causes significantly more damage when it collides, and there’s a considerable chance of rupturing gasoline tanks.
The result is a fire that can quickly spread and consume the truck or nearby passenger vehicles. Occupants of these vehicles, including truck drivers, can sustain severe burns as a result of this. Victims may need extensive medical care and a lengthy hospital stay, depending on the severity of the burn wounds sustained.
Internal Injuries
Internal injuries are another potentially devastating form of truck accident injuries. Even though vehicles contain airbags intended to protect you, they can inflict blunt force trauma to your abdominal region if the force it exerts is too strong.
As a result, internal organs like the bladder, liver, spleen, lungs, pancreas, or kidneys could all be injured.
Chest and rib fractures are also typical in truck accidents. While they aren’t considered internal injuries on their own, they can lead to the injury of nearby internal organs when ribs break and pierce organs. A broken rib has the potential to puncture a lung or cause other complications, such as severe internal bleeding.
Broken Bones
While truck accidents involving passenger cars can result in death or serious injury, consider how much more severe the injuries truck accidents involving large trucks cause. There are 206 bones in the human body; any of these can be fractured or broken when a large truck runs you over.
Amputations
An amputation or deformity can occur as a result of a truck accident. Amputations typically occur in significant truck accidents when the passenger vehicle is crushed during the collision. If you’ve had an amputation or a deformity, you almost certainly need ongoing medical care and adaptive devices like prostheses to walk or use your arms.
You may also require attendants to help with daily tasks, and expenses quickly increase. This is why you should ensure that your truck accident attorneys are working on getting you the compensation necessary to be taken care of for the rest of your life.
You should contact Ehline Law Firm to discuss your trucking accident in a free consultation and case review.
Lacerations, Cuts, and Bruises
You may believe someone was lucky because they only had minimal wounds and bruises following a truck accident. Although bruises and cuts are less serious than other injuries, they still require medical attention and can result in lasting injury and permanent scars.
Broken glass, jagged metal, or unsecured items within your vehicle that become airborne during a collision can inflict multiple cuts and wounds. An amount can leave a disfiguring scar or lead to a life-threatening illness.
Truck Accidents Can be Fatal
Truck crashes often result in death for truck drivers, motorists, and passengers. The statistics show that truck accident kills more people in the United States than car-on-car wrecks do. You should consider filing a wrongful death case if your family member was killed in a truck crash.
Although no sum of money can return what you lost, a wrongful death claim can provide much-needed compensation for the survivors of the victim of a fatal truck accident injury.
If the accident occurred because the truck driver was negligent, you are entitled to compensation. These accidents often happen for two main reasons: driver error and mechanical defects. Suppose the vehicle was not roadworthy or had a mechanical defect. In that case, you can pursue the associated trucking companies or the vehicle manufacturer for compensation.
A Wrongful Death Attorney Can Help
An experienced truck accident attorney from Ehline Law Firm can help hold all negligent parties responsible for their part in the accident to get you the maximum compensation.
The reality is that when a loved one passes on, you may still owe money for medical bills related to the incident, funeral costs, or other losses, such as your pain and suffering. A truck accident attorney can assist you in determining how much compensation you are entitled to
What You Should Do After Suffering a Truck Accident Injury
If you’ve been in a vehicle accident, the first thing you should do is get immediate medical treatment. Even if you believe your injuries are minor, it is always essential to seek medical attention because some injuries may not be apparent at first.
However, medical bills and funeral expenses can pile up quickly, mainly since truck accidents result in serious injuries, and you need a strategy to pay them. This is why contacting a truck accident attorney is the next best thing you can do.
Need a Reliable Truck Accident Attorney?
We at Ehline Law Firm have a team of experienced lawyers who can provide the legal assistance you need after suffering horrific injuries in a truck accident. We can help you seek compensation for medical costs and intangible pain and suffering.
Here are a few reasons to choose us for your personal injury claim against the trucking company:
- We are committed to providing you with service of the highest standard and approach our clients with the respect that they deserve
- You can find a personal injury lawyer at Ehline Law Firm without paying any upfront legal fees, as our lawyers operate on a contingency fee basis.
- Our lawyers have experience working with large corporations and insurance companies.
- We have a proven track record, winning over $100 million in client compensation.
Who Can Be Held Accountable for a Truck Collision?
Depending on the crisis, the trucker, trucking company, product manufacturer, government agency, or all may be held responsible for injuries. State and federal laws direct common carriers to maintain and inspect their vehicles.
Trucking companies must abide by regulations limiting travel times and mandating rest breaks. At Ehline Law, we regularly cooperate with a checkerboard of specialists, including life care planners, private investigators, and accident deconstructionists, to determine liability and damages in truck accidents.
Contact Ehline Law Firm Today!
Ehline Law has the experience, knowledge, and skill to bring symmetry to the negotiations and go on the offensive. Our aggressive legal team will ensure that you receive the best legal advice and help you find appropriate medical care.
We’ll fight to help you receive the meaningful compensation you deserve if you have been injured in a truck accident, including damages for medical expenses, loss of earning capacity (lost wages), pain and suffering, and other losses.
Regardless of your situation, you can rely on Ehline to administer powerful, extensive firm representation and hands-on, small-firm service. Please contact our law group to learn how we can support you. We give clients peace so they can focus on getting better.
