Common Semi-Truck Accident Injuries

Head and Traumatic Brain Injuries

Any injury resulting in bruising, tearing, bleeding, or another physical damage to the brain is a traumatic brain injury. A concussion is a mild version of traumatic brain injury that usually heals over a few weeks. A severe traumatic brain injury is likely to be long-term and can cause a variety of debilitating problems to the victim.

Burns

A semi-truck is likely to cause more damage upon impact than a traditional passenger car would, and there is a high risk of rupturing fuel tanks. Victims are susceptible to burns from fire or through contact with hot parts of the vehicle in these types of crashes. Serious burns cause deep tissue damages and may require years of expensive treatment and leave the victim with permanent disfigurement. In addition to injury from contact with fire or extreme heat, inhaling smoke from a fire can cause lung damages.

Amputation and Disfigurement

Amputation and disfigurement could happen from the impact itself, or because of another injury like a severe burn. In a semi-truck accident, an amputation could happen because of crushing from the collision. Catastrophic personal injuries like amputations, unfortunately, impose enormous financial and emotional costs on victims and their families. In addition to the initial costs of medical treatments following the accident and ongoing medications, amputees usually require specialized services such as prosthetic limbs, rehabilitation services, and home modifications.

Chest and Abdominal Injuries

The impact of a collision can rupture or tear the diaphragm, which is the muscle below the lungs that aids respiration. These types of injuries impact the victim’s internal organs such as the liver, spleen, and kidneys. Injuries to major internal organs often require immediate surgery. Although seatbelts and airbags are designed to protect passengers in the vehicle, the strong force from an airbag or seatbelt can also cause blunt abdominal trauma. Torso and rib injuries are also common in semi-truck accidents; they are not considered internal injuries on their own, but harm to those parts of your body can be dangerous because they surround the vital organs. A broken rib could puncture a lung or create other internal damage.

Neck Injuries and Whiplash

Whiplash is a traumatic injury to neck muscles, ligaments, and spinal disks that is most commonly caused by the sudden jerking motion of a rear-end collision. It can happen when your head and neck snap forward, but your torso stays in place. It is an injury that might not appear immediately after the impact, but you may experience pain and other symptoms hours or days after a crash. Common neck injuries can cause chronic pain and problems with memory, concentration, and sleep. The impact of accidents can also cause broken bones in the neck and other serious neck injuries.

Cuts, Bruises, Broken Bones, Fractures

Soft tissue injuries like cuts and bruises often heal quickly, but serious lacerations and contusions may affect deep muscle tissue or internal organs. Cuts and bruises to the eyes can result in permanent vision loss. Cuts happen because of shattered glass, sharp metal, or other objects inside the car that become loose in a crash.

Mental Distress

As a part of pain and suffering damages, mental distress (also known as mental anguish or emotional distress) is when someone’s actions cause you to suffer mental harm. Mental distress after a car accident may be exhibited by feelings of humiliation/shame, insomnia, depression, self-destructive thoughts, anxiety, stress, or another emotional response. Mental health injuries can be caused directly as a result of a brain injury, or indirectly, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

We recommend seeking medical treatment as soon as you experience symptoms after an accident. This is important because some injuries don’t show up right after the accident, and if you didn’t immediately seek medical attention, insurance companies may try to dispute that your injuries were not related to the car accident.

Free Semi Truck Accident Legal Consultation

The attorney you choose does make a difference; don’t get hurt twice. Our Houston truck accident lawyer has proven to be dedicated, compassionate, and most importantly, effective fighters for our clients. We have handled thousands of personal injury cases and recovered millions of dollars for our clients. We are with you every step of the way. We handle all personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, and we never charge a fee unless we win.

Hollingsworth Law Firm is located at 1415 North Loop West, Suite 200, Houston, Texas 77008. You can call us at 713.637.4560 or fax at 713.474.9017. Our office is open Monday through Friday from seven in the morning until seven at night closed on Saturday and Sunday. You can always send us a message on our website.