Being involved in a truck accident can change your life in an instant. These devastating crashes often cause severe injuries because tractor-trailers, commercial trucks, delivery trucks, and 18-wheelers are large, heavy vehicles that are difficult to control or stop quickly.
No matter the extent of your injuries after a truck collision, the truck accident attorneys at Shamieh Law have experience helping accident victims from Texas and Louisiana. We will protect your rights, assist with your recovery, and secure the compensation you deserve.
What Types of Injuries Can Be Caused By Commercial Truck Accidents?
After a truck accident, victims may suffer severe injuries that lead to a prolonged recovery and could result in lifelong changes or chronic pain. Some injuries are immediately obvious, while others have symptoms that develop over time or have psychological effects.
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)
Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) range from mild concussions to severe brain trauma that can lead to long-term cognitive or emotional issues. These injuries occur from the jolting impact of a collision, which can cause brain bleeds or swelling. Symptoms can worsen over time, especially if you wait to seek medical attention, including dizziness, fatigue, headaches, nausea or vomiting, confusion, and loss of consciousness.
Spinal Cord and Back Injuries
Truck accidents can cause spinal cord and back injuries such as herniated discs, fractured vertebrae, nerve damage, and paralysis. These injuries may result in chronic pain, weakness, numbness, and functional impairments, potentially leading to permanent disabilities.
Broken Bones and Fractures
Collisions with trucks can cause broken bones and fractures in limbs, ribs, collarbones, and the pelvis due to the high impact of the accident. These injuries may require surgery to repair damage, physical therapy, which can limit mobility and require an extensive recovery period.
Internal Injuries and Organ Damage
The force of a truck accident can cause serious internal injuries or organ damage, including harm to the lungs, kidneys, or other vital organs. These injuries may not show symptoms right away but can become life-threatening if left untreated. Even if you don’t notice visible signs of injury, it’s important to seek medical attention immediately, as hidden internal damage can lead to emergencies. Common symptoms include abdominal pain, swelling, internal bleeding, and organ failure.
Whiplash and Neck Injuries
Crashes, particularly rear-end or side-impact truck collisions, can result in whiplash or neck injuries, from the force of the impact snapping the victim’s head and neck. Whiplash injuries may not show themselves immediately, but can cause neck and upper back tenderness and stiffness, loss of mobility in the neck, headaches, and possibly long-term mobility problems.
Severe Burns
Crashes often involve fuel spills or fires, especially if a truck is involved, leading to burn injuries that can vary in severity. Burns cause physical pain, may leave scars, and sometimes require reconstructive surgery or skin grafts.
Amputations and Crush Injuries
When a crash is severe or the impact crushes the vehicle, limbs can become trapped or crushed in the wreckage, which can possibly lead to partial or complete amputations and other crush-related injuries. These injuries can significantly alter many aspects of a person’s life, including loss of income, inability to return to work, or permanent disability.
Emotional and Psychological Trauma
A truck accident can be a life-changing event with lasting emotional and psychological effects. During recovery, victims may experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, or depression while also coping with physical injuries. These challenges can make everyday activities difficult, increase emotional distress, and greatly diminish overall quality of life.
Long-Term Consequences of Truck Accident Injuries
Some injuries from truck accidents might heal over time, but others could cause lasting harm. Accidents can also lead to serious consequences and life changes.
Medical Expenses and Lost Income
Getting into an accident with a commercial truck can lead to serious health problems, resulting in expensive hospital stays, surgeries to fix injuries, and physical therapy. These injuries could limit your ability to return to work or cause you to miss work while you recover.
Impact on Daily Life and Quality of Life
Depending on how severe the injuries from truck accidents are, they can seriously affect your daily life or quality of life, leading to chronic pain, limited mobility, and difficulty performing everyday activities. After a truck accident, some injuries might prevent you from returning to your previous routine and could reduce your ability to enjoy life.
Emotional and Family Strain
If a truck accident results in a fatality, the impact extends far beyond physical recovery, affecting family relationships, emotional health, and overall stability. Even when the crash causes life-changing injuries rather than death, the effects can be just as profound. Victims and their families may face ongoing emotional strain, changes in mental health, and financial challenges that can alter their lives long after the accident.
Compensation for Truck Accident Injuries
After a truck accident, victims may be entitled to pursue compensation for both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages include measurable losses such as medical expenses, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, future medical treatment, and property damage. Non-economic damages compensate for pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life.
In certain cases involving gross negligence or reckless conduct, such as when a truck driver causes a crash while under the influence, victims may also seek punitive damages. These damages are not meant to compensate the victim but to punish the wrongdoer and discourage similar misconduct in the future.
In truck collision cases, multiple parties may be held liable, including the drivers, the trucking company or owner, the manufacturer, or another third party. Trucking companies and insurers often have strong defense teams to fight against individuals injured by their drivers and have the resources to continue challenging claims, making legal representation even more important for victims to consider before seeking compensation after an accident. A truck accident attorney can help protect you from their defense tactics and assist you in obtaining the compensation you need for your injuries.
What Makes Truck Accident Injuries So Serious
Due to their size and force, truck accidents generally result in more severe injuries than those involving passenger vehicles. Common causes include improper maintenance, unsecured loads, and driver fatigue, which can lead to trucks losing control on the road. Additionally, reckless or impaired driving is among the leading causes of truck accidents.
Truck accidents are usually serious events, with more force at impact compared to smaller vehicles like sedans. This increased force can cause other cars to be involved in the crash, raising the risk of injuries and making cases more complex. Additionally, truck accidents often lead to severe injuries, which can result in longer recovery times for victims and potentially lifelong consequences.
Suffered a Serious Injury in a Truck Accident? Shamieh Law Can Help
If you or a loved one were injured in a commercial truck crash in Texas or Louisiana, you don’t have to handle the recovery alone or worry about how to cover future medical expenses. The truck accident lawyers at Shamieh Law are here to fight for the compensation you deserve. We’re dedicated to protecting you from pressure from trucking companies and insurers, so you can focus on your recovery, where it matters most.
If you’ve been injured in a truck accident, contact us today to schedule your free consultation or call (469) 813-7332.