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When it comes to accidents involving large vehicles, it’s crucial to understand the common types of truck accident injuries. These common truck accident injuries can have a profound impact on the lives of those involved. Recognizing and addressing them promptly is key to recovery. If you have questions after a crash, consider speaking with a truck accident injury lawyer in Houston for guidance about your legal options.
The collision between a passenger automobile and a large truck or big rig can have truly catastrophic consequences.
Every day, motorists across the United States see their lives change dramatically after accidents involving semi-trucks or 18-wheelers. Some types of injuries occur with shocking regularity in truck accidents.
Trauma to a person’s head as a result of a truck accident can cause severe, life-altering injuries. The stark reality of many big rig truck accidents each year on roadways in Texas and across the United States is that injured individuals will never be the same after these collisions.
Every year, innocent motorists sustain traumatic injuries in truck accidents that result in a tragic loss of motor and cognitive functions.
A person involved in a tractor-trailer accident must understand that traumatic brain injuries may not be immediately visible or apparent.
Consulting a medical professional following an accident should be a primary objective for a truck wreck victim.
Back and neck injuries represent some of the most common types of damage following an accident involving a semi-truck or big rig.
These types of injuries run a broad spectrum, from those that result in minor back or neck pain to severe injuries that prove debilitating. Even less severe back and neck injuries can preclude a person from returning to work or to routine activities associated with daily living for what can prove to be an extended period.
Spinal cord injuries are also relatively commonplace following a truck accident. As is the case with some types of traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage is not always initially diagnosed, underscoring the need for a medical evaluation by an appropriate professional.
A spinal cord injury can have devastating consequences. This type of injury can result in paralysis and permanent disability.
Furthermore, most emergency rooms perform X-rays on-site only if an extreme injury is suspected. An MRI is usually used to diagnose a herniated disc.
In many accidents involving an automobile and a much larger commercial truck, broken bones are common. Broken bones occur at a much higher rate when a large truck is involved in a car accident because of the disproportionate size and power of a big rig.
Internal injuries frequently occur in truck accidents. Indeed, the impact between a large truck and another vehicle can result in massive, life-threatening internal injuries. Indeed, no internal organ is immune to the potential for profound damage in a commercial truck accident.
Truck Accidents and Wrongful Death Claims
An accident involving a commercial truck and a passenger car is 10 times more likely to result in the death of the driver or another occupant of the automobile than is the case of a collision between two standard autos.
According to the Texas DOT, in 2021, in Texas, 832 people died in fatal accidents with big trucks. The clear majority of these crashes involved big rigs.
Short answer: The most frequently reported injuries include head and brain injuries, back and neck injuries, spinal cord injuries, broken bones, and internal injuries. These can range from painful but temporary conditions to life-altering disabilities. Head and brain trauma and spinal cord damage can be especially severe, sometimes leading to loss of motor or cognitive function or even paralysis.
Short answer: Some serious injuries—particularly traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord damage—may not be immediately visible or obvious. Prompt evaluation by a medical professional is crucial. Many emergency rooms perform X-rays initially, but an MRI is often needed to diagnose issues like a herniated disc. Early diagnosis can be key to effective treatment and recovery.
Short answer: The disproportionate size and power of a semi-truck or big rig compared to a passenger vehicle greatly increase the force of impact. That force raises the likelihood of fractures and can cause massive, life-threatening internal injuries—no internal organ is immune in a severe commercial truck collision.
Short answer: Yes. A crash involving a commercial truck and a passenger car is about 10 times more likely to result in the death of someone in the automobile than a collision between two standard cars. In Texas alone, 832 people died in fatal crashes with big trucks in 2021, and the clear majority involved big rigs.
Short answer: Make getting medical care a top priority—even if injuries aren’t obvious. After addressing health needs, consider speaking with a truck accident injury lawyer in Houston to understand your legal options. Greg Baumgartner of Baumgartner Law Firm is an experienced Houston attorney who has represented severely injured truck accident victims for decades. For more context, see the related resources linked in the original article.
Sources:
What Evidence Might Help My Truck Accident Claim?
TYPES OF COMMERCIAL VEHICLE DRIVER’S LICENSES
Common Injuries Sustained in Large Truck Accidents
Truck Accident Injury Lawyer in Houston
Diagnosis of a Spinal Cord Injury From a Truck Wreck
