Common Truck Accident Injuries in Southlake
The sheer size of commercial trucks makes crashes more likely to result in serious injuries. Semi wrecks can be catastrophic, leading to lifelong damage or death. While these incidents can cause almost any type of injury, some are more frequent than others.
Catastrophic trucking injuries include burns, neck and spinal cord injuries, damage to internal organs, amputation, and traumatic brain damage. These common truck accident injuries in Southlake can have a devastating impact on your life and often result in substantial medical bills, inability to work, and a loss in earning capacity. An experienced 18-wheeler accident lawyer could help you seek financial recovery for your injuries when you are involved in a truck crash.
Why Trucks Are So Dangerous
Size is the main component of why trucks are so hazardous. The weight of the vehicles has a dual impact. First, larger automobiles are more difficult to maneuver and have longer stopping distances. That makes it more challenging for truckers to evade collisions. It also means that crashes will likely be high-speed because of the longer stopping distances.
Additionally, the size of semis dramatically increases the force of the wreck. Trucks have ten times the force in an accident compared to oversized passenger vehicles. Other people are often severely injured, while the trucker — protected in a steel cage— may not be hurt at all.
Truckers face a few risks when in an accident, including permanent damage to the truck and cargo and minor injuries. However, the threat is rarely death or even a severe injury, so they may not be as cautious in dangerous scenarios.
Understanding the common types of injuries in Southlake truck crashes is essential. It helps people understand the dangers to passenger vehicles and potential liability after an incident.
Catastrophic Injuries Are Common
Trucking accidents can cause various non-catastrophic injuries, including scrapes, bruises, bumps, contusions, and lacerations. These injuries can sometimes be painful and require medical intervention and a substantial recovery period.
However, catastrophic injuries are life-altering. They interfere with a person’s ability to work and perform daily duties. Similarly, they may impact someone’s capabilities in self-care, alter relationships, and require caretakers or other accommodations, and they are often lifelong.
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs)
Head injuries are dangerous because they can impact the brain. A brain injury caused by an exterior force is known as a traumatic brain injury (TBI). TBIs can be relatively minor, such as concussions, or result in loss of function in some or all of the body. They are also cumulative, so an injury that might be minor in someone with no history of head injuries can be life-threatening to a person with prior head injuries.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries can result in paralysis, the loss of sensation, movement, or both in part of the body. Paralysis can be partial or total and exists on a continuum. It may also impact different parts of the body, and the higher up on the spine the injury is, the more of the body will be affected. In addition to voluntary movements, paralysis can also impact involuntary body functions like breathing and blood pressure.
Crushing Injuries
In crushing accidents, people may lose circulation to or sever different body parts. As a result, amputations may be necessary, impacting a person’s ability to function as usual. The extent of the impact depends on which body parts were lost and the individual’s abilities. Some people can recover quickly from amputation and live relatively normally. However, others may never achieve those same levels.
A Southlake attorney who handles truck wreck injuries could advocate for their client when they suffer these or any other injuries due to another person’s negligence.
Learn More About Common Southlake Truck Accident Injuries
You may be entitled to compensation when you are injured in a truck crash. This can cover medical bills, lost wages, loss in future earnings, pain and suffering, and more.
A tenacious lawyer could evaluate your circumstances to determine potential damages in your case. Schedule a consultation today to learn more about common truck accident injuries in Southlake.