Collisions Between Trucks and Cars Can Result in Serious Injuries

The number of truck accident injuries has gone up and down over the years. In the past few years, however, they have been increasing. Truck crashes went up by 82% between 2009 to 2015, and they increased another 4% from 2016 to 2017.

Common Truck Accident Injuries

When a truck collides with a smaller vehicle, the resulting injuries can be devastating. Considering the recent rise in truck accident rates, more and more victims are going through the recovery process. Some injuries that victims commonly experience include the following:

• Muscles, ligaments, tendons and cartilage are all susceptible to injury following a truck accident. In many cases, a victim won’t necessarily suffer from the pain right after the accident occurs. However, it isn’t uncommon for these injuries to show up days later.
  
• Organ damage can cause internal bleeding that you wouldn’t necessarily be aware of at the time of the accident. If you do have these injuries, you will need immediate medical attention. The most common truck accident-related internal injuries are to the spleen, bladder, kidneys, liver and pancreas.
  
• Virtually any bone can be broken in a collision with a truck, and these injuries almost always require medical care. The common areas for breaks are the arms, pelvis, legs, ribs, hands and skull or bones of the face.
  
• The head is particularly vulnerable during a truck collision because the steering wheel and the dashboard are within close proximity. The most common injuries of this type are called traumatic brain injuries or TBIs, injuries to the eyes and face, and concussions. These injuries require immediate medical attention as well.
  
• The neck often gets injured during a truck collision. This happens when the body is violently thrown in different directions. As a result, the neck’s nerves, muscles, ligaments and bones are often injured.
  
• One particular neck injury is the “whiplash” injury, and it often occurs in accidents between trucks and vehicles. Whiplash isn’t necessarily an injury that must be treated on an ongoing basis, but if it is severe, you may need extensive treatment and a significant amount of time to recover.
  
• A collision between a truck and a smaller vehicle often causes the passengers in the smaller vehicle to throw their hands up in the course of the accident. This is the reason why there are so many wrist and hand injuries in truck accidents. If the injuries are severe enough, you could require surgery and several months of physical therapy.
  
• The most severe injuries are those to the back. They often result in damage that needs a lifetime to heal, and in that time, you may be in chronic pain. Even if these injuries become stable, they can result in newer complications in the future. The most common injuries include herniated discs, spinal cord injuries, compression fractures, and sprains or strains. Some people even lose the ability to move some or all of their body parts.
  
• During collisions with a truck, it isn’t uncommon for a victim’s limbs to become crushed. These limbs often need to be amputated when this occurs.
  
• In truck collisions, you can expect glass to be broken. When this happens, people inside the vehicles can receive serious lacerations. These cuts are not necessarily dangerous, but they can require stitches or surgery. The scarring that occurs may be permanent.
  
• Since trucks have enormous fuel tanks, they have the potential to start large fires after a collision. If victims are caught in a truck fire, they could receive serious burns that may need a significant amount of time to heal. There could also be permanent scarring.
  
• Not all injuries cause physical damage to the body. For example, a victim may experience emotional trauma following a collision with a truck. The most common disorders are anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. These conditions may require treatment for several months or even years.
  
• Sometimes, the result of a collision with a truck is death. If the accident was caused by someone’s negligence, it is a wrongful death. In this case, it is important to call a truck accident lawyer to initiate a wrongful death lawsuit.
  

If authorities determine that another driver is responsible for causing the injuries that you suffered in a truck crash, legal action may be warranted. A truck accident lawyer can help a victim negotiate for maximum compensation from the at-fault party’s insurance company. This is necessary after a collision because crash-related injuries may require several years of recovery. These injuries also need urgent attention, so they may require the most extensive and costly medical care.

Common Treatments for Truck Accident Injuries

• If you have broken bones, one treatment that can be used to straighten them out is “traction.” Traction relieves the pressure on your bones. It is used for this purpose when you have a spinal cord injury. While traction is not a treatment that physicians generally use, it can be helpful at times.
  
• Massages are excellent for relaxing your muscles, improving circulation and loosening up soft tissue. The end result is pain relief.
  
• Electrical muscle stimulation is necessary to prevent your muscles from succumbing to atrophy, which is the wasting away of body tissue. Under normal circumstances, the brain sends electrical impulses to your muscles. When this isn’t happening because of an injury, however, medical staff can induce electrical stimulation. This will prevent muscle spasms and atrophy. Electrical muscle stimulation also increases blood circulation.
  
• Sprains, strains and fractures require splints and braces to heal properly. While not life-threatening, they can lead to lingering, chronic pain.
  
• Physical therapy is often required when recovering from truck crash injuries. If you see a physical therapist, you’ll get a personalized program designed to treat your specific injury. This includes exercises as well as massage therapy. The goal is to reduce your pain, increase your range of motion and help you become more flexible.
  
• Exercise therapy is also used to strengthen your muscles and increase your flexibility and range of motion. It is one of the best ways to encourage recovery from crash-related injuries.
  
• Therapeutic ultrasound treatment stimulates damaged tissue and increases the blood flow to the damaged area. This is an excellent tool that helps you heal. It also encourages the swelling to go down, and in the process, the pain goes down as well.
  
• Injuries that cause the body to remain tense may be treated with myofascial release. The fascia is located around most of the tissue in your body, and this includes the muscles. Myofascial release is directed toward this tissue. It is designed to stimulate the muscles, improve circulation and relax contracted muscles.
  
• After a collision with a truck, your muscles may become deconditioned and weak. If this is the case, you will need help strengthening and conditioning your muscles so that you can return to your previous lifestyle. Strengthening and conditioning will also reduce your pain.
  
• Injuries also require pain medications, but these will be prescribed on a short-term basis.
  

If you are ready to make the person responsible for your accident pay the consequences, contact us at Rebenack, Aronow & Mascolo. You can contact our office in New Brunswick at (732)247-3600. We also have an office in Somerville that can be reached at (908)448-2560. Email us at contact@ram.law.