Common Truck Accident Injuries in Dallas
In a collision between a heavy truck and a passenger vehicle, the occupants of the passenger car or light truck are far more likely to be seriously injured or killed than the truck driver.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) states that of the 104,000 people injured in crashes involving heavy trucks and passenger vehicles in a recent year, 73 percent were in passenger vehicles, 24 percent were truckers, and 4 percent were motor vehicles.
In fatal crashes, 73 percent were occupants of passenger vehicles, 18 percent were occupants of commercial trucks, and 10 percent were not occupants of a vehicle. Vehicles were not occupants, such as pedestrians and cyclists.
Large truck wrecks often cause serious and debilitating injuries. People who have been injured in commercial truck accidents caused by someone else may be eligible for compensation for the cost of their injuries and other damages, as well as for pain and suffering.
Kraft & Associates, PC, investigates and litigates commercial truck accidents on behalf of individuals who have been injured and families who have lost loved ones in accidents involving commercial trucks in Dallas and throughout North Texas.
Let the law offices of Kraft & Associates, PC advise you about your rights after suffering serious truck accident injuries. Please call us at (214) 722-4357 or contact us online.
Common Truck Accident Injuries
It is not difficult to understand why occupants of passenger cars and light trucks can suffer devastating injuries, if not death when struck by a tractor-trailer or other heavy truck.
A large truck traveling at 70 mph collides with twice the impact of a car traveling at 50 mph. A tractor-trailer can weigh up to 80,000 pounds when loaded.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) says rear guards prevent “underrides.” trucks have higher ground clearance than cars, which allows low-riding vehicles to slide under truck trailers, with potentially fatal consequences.
Still, IIHS research shows that guards meeting federal safety standards fail at relatively low speeds.
Among the many personal injuries that often occur in truck accidents are the following:
Traumatic brain injuries. A blow or blow to the head or a penetrating injury resulting in a traumatic brain injury (TBI) can result in a variety of short- or long-term brain damage that adversely affects the victim’s ability to function.
Long-term complications can eventually lead to premature death.Spinal cord injury and paralysis. Traumatic damage to the spinal cord can cause paralysis from the point of injury to the rest of the body.
Depending on the extent of the injury, a paralyzed accident victim may retain some movement or regain some through intensive therapy, but spinal cord injuries cannot be repaired.
Internal injuries. Blunt or penetrating trauma in a truck accident can damage internal organs, such as the heart, liver, stomach, spleen, bowel, or kidneys, or break the sternum (breast bone) or ribs. Surgery is usually required for broken limbs and internal bleeding.
Fractures (broken bones). The crush and blunt-force trauma of a truck accident can break almost any bone in the body.
Commonly broken bones in truck accidents include the feet, legs, ankles, arms, hands, collarbones, pelvis, sternum, neck, spine, ribs, and skull.
While simple broken arms or legs may mean several weeks in a cast, compound and complex fractures may require surgery, a longer hospital stay, and lifelong impairment.
Back injuries. Trauma to the spinal cord or vertebrae (spinal cord), ligaments, or spine discs can result in paralysis or other impairment of the victim’s limbs or large body parts.
Back injuries can result in chronic pain that significantly reduces the sufferer’s mobility and limits their ability to work for a living.
Car Accident Lawyer In Las Vegas
Neck injuries and whiplash. A collision that suddenly jolts a car occupant’s neck, causing damage to the neck muscles, ligaments, and spinal discs, is known as “whiplash.”
Mild whiplash is treated with pain medication and a period of immobilization, but some sufferers experience chronic pain and problems with concentration, memory, or sleep.
Many suffer from years of chronic pain, headaches, and other issues due to neck and whiplash injuries.
Limb loss and amputation. An arm or a leg or small body parts, such as fingers, toes, feet, and hands, may be severed or crushed beyond repair in a truck accident, requiring removal in a surgical amputation. Despite prosthetic advances, losing a limb causes lifelong, irreversible disability.
Individuals seriously injured in truck accidents often face millions of dollars in medical bills throughout their lives. In addition, they are likely to have reduced income during their recovery or, in some cases, never be able to work.
After a truck accident, a seriously injured accident victim may receive the first amount immediately, like a generous settlement offer from the truck driver or the trucking company’s insurance company.
However, there is also a possibility that the request is too meager, and by accepting it, the accident victims give up their right to demand full compensation from those responsible for the accident.