Common Injuries in 18-wheeler Accidents
Written by AskTheLawyers.com™
Written by AskTheLawyers.com™
AskTheLawyers™
Semi-trucks can weigh up to 80,000 pounds fully loaded, so it's no wonder that when one of them is involved in an accident, the results are often devastating. Victims in trucking accidents often suffer injuries much more severe than those you might find in a typical car crash. These injuries can include broken bones, serious traumatic brain injuries, paralysis, and death.
According to the National Institute of Traffic and Highway Safety, nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of all truck crash injuries or deaths are suffered by people who are hit by the truck while driving or riding in a passenger vehicle. And the vast majority of these accidents are caused by driver error - often, errors committed by the truck driver. And every year, more and more trucks are making their way onto U.S. roadways.
Victims of truck accidents suffer serious, sometimes permanent injuries, including:
- Back and neck injuries, from minor neck pain to dislocated spinal discs, fractures, and even paralysis due to spinal cord injury
- Broken bones
- Traumatic brain injuries, either due to direct trauma, skull penetration, or even rapid acceleration or deceleration
- Internal injuries, such as bleeding in the liver, kidneys, pancreas, spleen, or lungs
- Lacerations that result in massive, permanent scarring
- Rib and torso injuries
- Injuries caused by seat belts
- Wrongful death - you are 10 times more likely to die in a truck crash than a normal car crash
If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a truck accident, it is imperative that you reach out to an experienced truck accident attorney right away. These cases must be acted upon quickly, as the owner or operator of the truck will dispatch a team to the site of the crash immediately to start building its case against you in order to limit its liability. You need an attorney on site as soon as you can to preserve evidence and your rights.