Common Injuries Suffered if You’re Hit by a Truck

 

The laws of physics make truck accidents horrifying to contemplate. Roads in and around Fort Walton Beach are filled with tractor-trailers typically weighing about 80,000 pounds. When these trucks hit a 4,000 car, the impact of a vehicle weighing 20 times more is liable to cause much more serious injuries than a crash between two cars. If a truck hits a motorcycle, bicycle, or pedestrian, it is hard to imagine surviving the impact.

Fort Walton Beach truck accident attorneys have seen many cases where accident victims suffer injuries that change their lives. Here we review some of the most frequent injuries in truck accidents.

Brain Injuries

Traumatic brain injuries are unfortunately quite common in truck accident cases. A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an injury caused by a sudden impact on brain tissue. The resulting bruising, bleeding, torn tissue and other damage can lead to long-term complications or even death. While some symptoms of TBIs may be obvious immediately, others develop slowly over time. Signs of damage may be hard to detect, even with an X-ray or CT scan, so doctors must resort to special imaging tests.

Symptoms of a TBI can include

• Confusion
• Nausea
• Slurred speech
• Dilated pupils
• Convulsions
• Headaches
• Loss of coordination
• Difficulty awakening from or falling asleep

While some of the effects of brain damage will heal over time, TBIs often lead to prolonged or permanent changes. These may affect the victim’s consciousness, lead to seizures or strokes, and cause headaches and vertigo. Additionally, TBIs often cause severe problems with cognitive skills, making it difficult for the victim to focus, remember information, or complete tasks. Our attorneys know that someone suffering from a TBI may be unable to work and need assistance to complete everyday tasks the rest of us take for granted.

Neck and Spinal Injuries

Injuries to the spine and spinal cord are also common in truck accidents. Victims may suffer paralysis if nerves are damaged, limiting or preventing mobility. Damage to vertebrae or discs can also restrict mobility but also leave victims in constant pain. Because of the importance and fragility of these parts of the body, neck and spinal injuries have a tremendous impact on the quality of life.

Burns, Lacerations, and Broken Bones

Fire is a danger in a high-impact collision with a truck, and burn injuries are some of the most painful and disfiguring. Fort Walton Beach truck accident attorneys often see situations where twisted metal and broken glass cause puncture wounds and severe lacerations, particularly to the face and arms. These injuries may heal over the course of time but often leave disfiguring scars.

Broken bones are another type of common injury in truck accidents that may heal but still leave painful long-term effects. Victims often require extensive surgery and augmentation with rods, pins, or screws in an attempt to rebuild shattered internal structures.  

Find Out How Fort Walton Beach Truck Accident Attorneys Can Help If You Were Hit by a Truck

If you or a loved one suffered injuries in a truck accident, you need to be concerned not only with covering medical bills and current expenses but also meeting future needs. When you work with the experienced Fort Walton Beach truck accident attorneys at Searcy Denney, we will fight to get full compensation to help you move forward. We also help truck accident victims in Pensacola and Tallahassee   Contact us for a free consultation today to learn more.