An accident involving an 18-wheeler or other large commercial truck is nothing like a typical highway crash.
Because of their massive size – a fully loaded semi-truck can weigh up to 80,000 lbs. – the occupants of smaller passenger vehicles are more likely to sustain severe or fatal injuries in a wreck with a big rig. The danger only increases if a truck is hauling hazardous liquids and volatile chemicals.
As a result, very few innocent motorists can walk away from an 18-wheeler crash completely unscathed. In fact, collisions involving heavy trucks and other commercial vehicles killed more than 5,000 people in 2017, with the occupants of smaller passenger vehicles accounting for the majority of fatalities.
If you were injured in a trucking accident, contact our Houston truck accident attorneys today.
Back and Neck Injuries
The back and neck contain small bones and ligaments that are particularlly vulnerable to injury, especially if the force of the truck crash causes the neck to snap forward as the torso remains in place.
Because the symptoms of whiplash and other back and neck injuries may not be readily apparent, you should get checked out at the emergency room immediately after the crash, even if you don’t think you’re hurt. Not only will this ensure timely treatment of any injuries, but your medical records will prove invaluable if you choose to file a lawsuit against the truck driver and their employer.
Spinal Cord Injuries
The impact of a collision may also result in severe damage to the vital nerves that carry signals from the spinal cord to the brain, resulting in temporary, partial, or complete paralysis of the lower body and torso. Full recovery from a spinal cord injury usually requires months – if not years — of treatments, multiple surgeries, and physical therapy. Even then, many victims never fully recover and must endure permanent disability for the remainder of their lives.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
The force of a truck crash or a blow to the head can cause the brain to move suddenly within the skull, resulting in a traumatic brain injury. These catastrophic injuries can lead to permeant disabilities, behavioral changes, and even coma.
Disfigurement and Burn Injuries
Shattering glass, blunt force trauma, fuel tank ruptures, and the possible presence of volatile liquids and chemicals can cause truck accident victims to experience disfiguring injuries, including severe burns that result in permanent scarring and disability.
Amputations
Truck accident victims may suffer the instant amputation of a limb that’s crushed beneath the wreckage. Severe damage due to trauma or burns may also necessitate surgical amputation of an arm or leg in the aftermath of a crash.
In either case, the victim’s life is forever changed, and they’ll likely require extended medical treatment and physical therapy, as well as prosthetics and other adaptive devices to function in daily life. In some cases, an amputee is never able to return to work and requires the assistance of full-time caretakers.
Internal Injuries
It’s not unusual for truck and 18-wheeler accident victims to suffer trauma to the abdomen or torso, resulting in injury to the bladder, spleen, liver, pancreas, lungs, or kidneys. Even the force of an airbag deploying or a broken rib can cause internal injuries.
Cuts, Bruises, Broken Bones, and Lacerations
Because a truck accident involves blunt force trauma, many victims require extensive treatment for broken or shattered bones. Shards of glass, sharp pieces of metal, and unrestrained objects that become airborne inside a vehicle can cause severe bruises and disfiguring lacerations. Even a minor cut can prove life-threatening should it become infected.
Undefeated Truck Accident Lawyers with Billions Won for Our Clients: Call 1-888-603-3636 or by Using the Form on the Right or by Clicking Here for a Free Consultation.
Because truck and 18-wheeler accidents are more likely to cause severe and fatal injuries compared to other motor vehicle accidents, the resulting verdicts and settlements tend to be significantly larger as well, and very often break records.
For that reason, the trucking company, its insurance company, and their teams of attorneys will do anything within their power to avoid paying you and your family the compensation you deserve, even if that means blaming you for the crash, downplaying your injuries, and destroying or “losing” critical evidence that proves the company and its driver were at fault.
Having won billions – including the Largest Truck Accident Settlement in Texas for 2019 – for thousands of crash victims and families in Texas, Louisiana, and across the United States, our Undefeated Truck and 18-Wheeler Accident Lawyers have the knowledge and resources to take on the biggest trucking and insurance companies in the world and ensure our clients receive maximum compensation for all of their injuries and losses.
If you or someone you love were injured or tragically killed in a truck or 18-wheeler crash, call 1-888-603-3636, use the “chat” button on our homepage or by using the form on the right or by clicking here. to send us a confidential email.
All consultations are free, and because we work on a contingency fee, you won’t owe us a cent unless we win your case.