A collision between a tractor trailer and a passenger vehicle can have severe consequences. The violent impact of such a collision can cause a variety of injuries that may require extensive medical care.
If you or a loved one has suffered from any of these common truck accident injuries, our experienced Windsor truck accident lawyers may be able to help you obtain compensation to help cover the costs associated with your injuries. Contact us today to learn more.
Head Injury
Motor vehicle accidents are one of the most common causes of head injuries. This is because the violent collision often associated with an accident can cause severe damage to the head, skull and brain.
These types of injuries can range from a mild bruise to a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). There are two categories of head injuries:
- Closed injuries that do not break the skull
- Open injuries that occurs when something penetrates or breaks the skulls and enters the brain
Some of the most common types of head injuries include:
- Hematoma – A collection or clot of blood outside the blood vessels, which can cause pressure to build inside the skull
- Hemorrhage – Uncontrolled bleeding, which can occur in the space around the brain or within the brain tissue
- Concussion – When the brain hits the skull
- Edema – Swelling that can occur to the surrounding tissue or the brain itself, which can be serious
- Skull fracture – A break in the skull
- Diffuse axonal injury – An injury that damages the brain cells without bleeding
TBI
One of the most common head injuries from truck accidents is a TBI. This is because the trauma that the brain and skull often experience in a truck accident can severely damage the brain.
A TBI occurs when an external force causes brain dysfunction. It can be a result of a violent jolt of the brain or a penetration of the skull and brain.
These types of injuries range from mild to severe and can include symptoms such as:
- Temporary loss of consciousness
- Headache
- Nausea or vomiting
- Fatigue and drowsiness
- Dizziness
- Loss of coordination
- Confusion
- Slurred speech
- Mood or personality changes
- Sensory problems
Severe brain injuries can have devastating and life-changing effects.
Neck or Back Injury
The spine runs from the base of the head to the pelvis. It is made of 33 individual bones that stack on top of one another, creating the spinal column that supports the body and protects the spinal cord. Muscles, bones, tendons and ligaments also help support the spine.
Injuries to the neck or back can affect any one of these important pieces of your neck and back, and can have potentially serious consequences.
Some common neck and back injuries from truck accidents include:
Whiplash
Whiplash is a soft tissue injury in which the muscles supporting the neck are injured. This type of injury often occurs in rear-end collisions when the head and neck quickly move forward and back in a whip-like motion.
Herniated Disc
Within the spine, there are rubber-like discs between the individual bones that make up the spine. These discs act as ligaments that hold the spine together and help absorb shock between adjacent bones.
If the soft center of one of these discs pushes through the exterior, it is a herniated disc. This can cause irritation to nearby nerves and can cause numbness or weakness. This type of injury can require medication, physical therapy and sometimes surgery.
Spinal Cord Injury
The spinal cord carries important messages between different parts of your body. If it is injured, it can cause loss of strength, function or sensation in parts of the body.
This type of injury can be caused by a traumatic blow to the spine that fractures, dislocates, crushes or compresses one or more of the bones in the spine.
Wrist Injury
Wrist injuries frequently occur in truck accidents as it is not uncommon to throw our hands up for protection during a collision. Furthermore, there are several small bones and ligaments that make up the wrist and hand that can easily be broken or damaged in a collision.
Wrist injuries can include:
- Sprains – Stretched or torn ligament
- Strains – Stretched or torn muscle or tendon
- Fractures – Partial break in a bone
- Breaks – Complete break in a bone
Fracture
Fractures can occur in any of the many bones in the body. The most common cause of a fracture is trauma from an outside force, such as is common in truck accidents.
Internal Bleeding
Internal bleeding is often a common serious consequence of trauma that can occur to almost any organ or blood vessel in the body. It can occur because of:
- Blunt trauma – When the body collides with something else at a high speed, blood vessels inside the body can be torn or crushed.
- Penetrating trauma – When a foreign object penetrates the body, it can tear a hole in one or more blood vessels.
Burns
In some situations a severe car accident will cause any involved vehicles to burst into flames. This is especially common in truck accidents because commercial vehicles have larger fuel tanks, which if damaged, can cause serious fires.
Burns from truck accidents can range in seriousness from first degree to the most severe third degree.
Contact an Experienced Truck Accident Lawyer
If you or a loved one has experienced any of these severe truck accident injuries, you need the help of an experienced personal injury lawyer in Windsor.
Our lawyers have decades of experience helping accident victims obtain the compensation they need to recover from their injuries.
Contact us today for a free, no obligation consultation. We do not get paid unless you do.
Call (866) 320-4770 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form.