The injuries inflicted on the human body in any type of motor vehicle collision can be severe. However, because trucks are significantly larger and heavier than the typical passenger car, these types of accidents can be even more serious.
Here’s what you should know about truck accident injuries and where you can get experienced legal help you can count on in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Open and Closed Head Injuries
One of the most common injuries suffered by victims of serious truck accidents is a head injury. There are two types of head injuries, both of which can be severe.
Open Head Injuries
An open head injury is classified as an injury to the head that can be seen and can range from minor to severe. Some open head injuries are nothing more than a scalp laceration, while others require immediate lifesaving intervention – if possible.
Not all open head injuries result in brain injuries, however, many can.
Closed Head Injuries & Brain Injuries
Sometimes, closed head injuries can be equally as serious as an open head injury or even more so, despite the fact that it may not be as visually obvious that an injury to the head has occurred.
The terms “closed head injury” and “brain injury” are often used synonymously; a closed head injury will rarely not result in an accompanying brain injury.
Back, Neck, and Spinal Cord Injuries
Another frequently seen injury in truck accident victims is damage to the spinal cord.
Whiplash is most common and occurs when the head whips back and forth suddenly upon the impact of a collision, overextending the muscles, tendons, and vertebrae in the neck.
The same can happen to the vertebrae in the lower back as the vehicle comes to an abrupt halt. Depending on the severity of the accident, this can result in little more than subluxation of the lumbar vertebrae, or it could cause a bruised or severed spinal cord.
The latter results in paralysis, the location and severity of which directly relates to the location of the injury on the spine. For example, if a motor vehicle driver is hit by a truck and their spinal cord is bruised or damaged in the cervical spine, the driver may become paralyzed in both their arms and legs. However, if the driver is injured in their lower back, it may only be their legs that become paralyzed.
Unfortunately, unlike some critical organs like the liver, the spinal cord cannot regenerate or heal after an injury and the damage is permanent.
Broken Bones and Crush Injuries
Often, truck accident victims will suffer broken or crushed bones immediately upon impact. This is because trucks are so massive that their momentum creates unbelievable force in a collision.
While some accident victims with broken bones need only a traditional cast and several-week healing period, many need reconstructive surgery to repair bones and remove crushed shards that may impede recovery.
In some cases, truck accidents result in the loss of limb, either at the scene of the incident or later when physicians are unable to save the limb and need to amputate it to save the patient’s life.
Internal and Soft Tissue Injuries
If the force of a truck accident is enough to break and crush bones, the damage it can do to soft tissues and internal organs can be life-threatening. Blunt force damage from the collision can cause internal bleeding that may not be noticeable until it’s too late, while flying debris in a crash can strike or pierce soft tissue.
Depending on the type of injury and its severity, these injuries may result in significant impairment and partial or full disability. In some cases, soft tissue injuries can cause disfiguration, which requires extensive plastic surgery to repair. Often, the patient cannot go back to their pre-accident self, which can critically impact their mental health.
Wrongful Death
Sadly, the rate of wrongful death as a result of truck accidents is much higher than the fatality rate of motor vehicle accidents involving passenger cars and pedestrians, motorcyclists, or bicyclists.
Losing a loved one in any circumstances is difficult but learning that their death was preventable and caused by the carelessness or negligence of a truck driver or trucking company can quadruple the hurt.
When to Contact a Trusted Truck Accident Attorney
If you or someone you love were victims of a truck accident that shouldn’t have happened, don’t hesitate to reach out for experienced legal assistance to help you through this difficult time.
You deserve to be compensated fully and fairly for any and all damages you and your family suffered as a result of an accident that wasn’t your fault.
At Mazow | McCullough, PC, we look to the trucking company, the driver, maintenance personnel, cities and municipalities, and other potential liable parties to ensure that the right entities are held responsible.
Contact us today to learn more about truck accident lawsuits or to schedule your initial consultation to discuss your family’s needs after a devastating collision. Call now at (978) 744-8000 or toll free at (855) 693-9084.
