Common Truck Accident Injuries

Truck accident injuries can have devastating and long-lasting impacts, from physical disabilities to emotional trauma. Here’s a look at some of the most common injuries that occur.

Head and Brain Injuries

The impact of a truck accident can cause victims to hit their heads against hard surfaces, leading to traumatic brain injuries, concussions, or even coma. TBIs can have long-term effects, including cognitive issues, memory loss, and mood disorders.

Victims may also suffer skull fractures or bleeding in the brain, which require immediate medical attention. These injuries are often severe and may lead to permanent disability or death.

Spinal Cord Injuries

Truck accidents can damage the spinal cord, leading to partial or complete paralysis. Quadriplegia or paraplegia are life-altering conditions that often require extensive rehabilitation and permanent care. Injuries like herniated discs and nerve damage are less severe but still painful. These can cause chronic pain, reduced mobility, and the need for ongoing treatment.

Broken Bones and Fractures

The intense force involved in truck accidents often leads to complex fractures, requiring surgeries and long recovery times. Commonly broken bones include arms, legs, ribs, and collarbones.

Additionally, victims can suffer facial injuries and fractures from impact with the vehicle’s dashboard, steering wheel, or airbag. These injuries can require reconstructive surgery and lead to lasting disfigurement.

Internal Injuries

Truck accidents frequently result in blunt force trauma, which can damage internal organs like the liver, spleen, kidneys, and lungs. Internal bleeding is often life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention. Broken ribs are also common and can puncture lungs or other organs. Victims may suffer respiratory issues and additional complications as a result.

Burns and Lacerations

If a truck accident causes a fire or explosion, victims can suffer severe burns, extensive scarring, infection, and nerve damage. Burn injuries require intensive treatment and may leave victims with permanent physical and emotional scars.

 Broken glass and metal can cause deep cuts or lacerations, leading to blood loss and risk of infection. Some injuries require stitches, skin grafts, or other surgical interventions.

Emotional and Psychological Trauma

The trauma of a truck accident can lead to PTSD, causing flashbacks, anxiety, and depression. Victims may require therapy and suffer symptoms long after physical injuries have healed.

Victims may also experience emotional distress due to the physical pain, financial burdens, and life adjustments caused by the accident, affecting their quality of life and relationships.

How a Truck Accident Attorney Can Help

Truck accidents are traumatic. An experienced Philadelphia truck accident attorney will provide you with the support you need throughout the legal process. They will guide you through paperwork, answer questions, and advocate for your rights, reducing stress during such a difficult time. Your lawyer will also ensure you recover the amount of compensation you need long-term by calculating the full extent of damages, including medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and future care needs. In cases involving severe injuries, they may pursue compensation for lifelong rehabilitation, lost earning capacity, and mental health care. For cases involving fatalities, consider reaching out to a wrongful death lawyer in Philadelphia during this emotional and complex time.

To build your case, your lawyer will gather evidence, including police reports, medical records, witness statements, and, when available, black box data from the truck. They may work with accident reconstruction experts to establish how the crash occurred and who was at fault. Truck accident cases often involve multiple liable parties, such as the truck driver, trucking company, maintenance provider, or cargo loader. An attorney can identify all responsible parties and hold them accountable, increasing the potential for fair compensation.

Insurance companies may attempt to minimize payouts or deny your claim. Attorneys skilled in handling truck accident cases negotiate aggressively with insurers and will not back down. If needed, they can escalate the case to court.