The number of heavy trucks on American highways has steadily increased over the previous three decades, as has the number of trucking-related incidents and injuries. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Agency reports that over 4000 heavy trucks and buses are involved in accidents annually in the United States.
Victims of truck accidents who suffer a traumatic brain injury, a spinal cord injury, or other typical truck accident injuries may become paralyzed and unable to work or care for themselves.
18-wheelers are more likely to cause or be involved in major accidents due to their size, weight, and limited maneuverability. You might be entitled to compensation if injured in a truck accident. To ensure you get the maximum compensation entitled to you, hire a lawyer. In the modern world, you can easily get a lawyer by searching 18 wheeler accident lawyers near me on Google.
Here are the significant impacts a truck accident may have on your life. Let’s take a look.
Table of Contents
Brain injuries
Head and brain injuries are among the most severe injuries that may occur in a heavy truck accident, particularly if the collision involves a head-on collision. Head injuries may vary from moderate to severe, and traumatic brain injuries can result in anything from modest personality changes to death.
These life-altering injuries may take months or years to recover from. Those who have had a concussion may continue to experience changes in their brain structure for months after the injury.
Spinal cord injuries
A commercial truck accident may severely injure the spinal cord’s bones, muscles, and nerves.
When the spinal cord is injured, it may cause partial or full paralysis of different regions of the body. Even if the damage is not permanent, it may cause extreme discomfort and will often need complicated therapy for the victim to recover.
Regardless of severity, spinal cord injuries often need prolonged therapy that may cost thousands of dollars—many truck accident victims who have spinal cord injuries never wholly recover. In the aftermath of a catastrophic truck collision, loss of movement, function, and even paralysis is common.
Neck injuries
Victims of accidents, especially those involving trucks, are more vulnerable to neck injuries. The head is commonly flung back and forth since most victims are unprepared for the force of the collision.
The neck and head snap back and forth violently upon contact is a common cause of whiplash. Whether minor or severe, whiplash injuries nearly always result in discomfort and the need for chiropractic therapy to recover fully.
Severe lacerations
Shattered glass, metal, and plastic fragments and items entering the interior of a passenger car may result in serious lacerations. A severe laceration may cause hazardous blood loss, infection, lifelong scarring, and disability.
The force and materials involved in a truck collision might result in amputation injuries in severe circumstances. These injuries may occur when passengers are crushed or thrown from the vehicle.
Amputation is a very severe injury with long-term consequences. While victims may be equipped with a prosthetic, they often cannot return to their everyday lives, jobs, and activities they enjoy.
Internal injuries
Internal injuries are prevalent among accident victims due to the enormous force a commercial truck accident may inflict. Regrettably, one of the life-saving gadgets can also cause severe injuries in a truck accident. When drivers and passengers are confined during a violent crash, seat belts may cause catastrophic internal damage.
Internal injuries, such as those to the spleen, liver, bladder, kidneys, or pancreatic damage, may be difficult to treat. The frightening thing about internal injuries is that the victim may not immediately realize they have suffered from one of these injuries. If they reject medical care or wait too long to be examined, they may have severe, life-long physical disabilities due to the damage.
Physiological effects
Victims of a major truck accident are more likely to acquire disorders such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
For years to come, truck accident victims may endure intense emotional swings such as shame, anger, sadness, and anxiety. This may result in insomnia, travel phobias, high blood pressure, and sexual dysfunction, among other problems.
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