Two Traumatic Injuries Common in Commercial Truck Accidents

Attorney Grant Travis | Travis Law Firm | Personal Injury Attorney, DUI Defense Attorney, Criminal Defense Attorney | Serving Erie, Crawford, Warren & all of Northwestern PA | Call the Travis Law Firm at 814-277-2222 today!

Many drivers in Pennsylvania, including Erie, Edinboro, and Warren, understand the dangers of sharing our roads with large commercial vehicles. Even though we need the commercial trucking industry to transport goods throughout the country efficiently and cost-effectively, sharing the roads with these massive vehicles can be deadly.

Thousands of people are injured and killed in large truck accidents each year. In about three-fourths of the truck accidents, the victims are passengers of other vehicles. Accident victims in commercial truck crashes often suffer extensive injuries, including life-threatening conditions. The damages caused by a large truck accident can be substantial.  It is important to consult with an Erie truck accident lawyer as soon as possible to protect your right to hold the party responsible for the crash liable for your damages.

Catastrophic Injuries in Large Truck Accidents

Accident victims suffer a variety of traumatic injuries in a truck accident. However, two of the common truck accident injuries can change a person’s life forever.

  • Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

The force of a large truck colliding with a passenger vehicle can violently cause the brain to slam against your skull. The impact can also throw you from the vehicle or cause you to slam your head into an object such as the steering wheel, dashboard, or window. The risk of a serious brain injury or TBI in a truck crash is significant. It is important to understand the symptoms of TBI and seek immediate medical attention. In some cases, early treatment may help reduce the risk of complications that can impact your life and the lives of your family members indefinitely.

Complications of traumatic brain injury include:

  • Coma
  • Vegetative state
  • Brain death
  • Minimally conscious state
  • Seizures
  • Fluid buildup in the brain
  • Infections
  • Blood vessel damage
  • Chronic headaches
  • Vertigo
  • Paralysis
  • Loss of or impairment of senses
  • Intellectual, behavioral, emotional, and cognitive changes or problems

In addition, a TBI can increase a person’s risk of developing some conditions such as Dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.

  • Severe Burns

Commercial trucks have large fuel tanks. When the truck crashes, the tanks can explode and cause fires. Victims in other vehicles may be trapped and unable to get out before receiving traumatic third and fourth-degree burns. Severe burns cause disfigurement and scarring; however, they can also cause other complications that can be life-threatening.

Some of the complications a victim may suffer from burns in a large truck accident include:

  • Infections
  • Breathing problems
  • Low body temperature
  • Low blood volume
  • Bone and joint problems
  • Overgrowth of scar tissue

As with other traumatic injuries, immediate medical treatment is essential. Most burn victims are transported to special burn centers for treatment after a commercial truck accident.

Call an Erie Truck Accident Lawyer for More Help

Commercial truck accidents must be handled differently from other vehicle accidents. An immediate and thorough investigation must be conducted to identify the liable parties and preserve key evidence that proves fault which could otherwise be lost or destroyed. Our Erie truck accident attorney understands how to handle injury claims arising from commercial truck accidents.

Call The Travis Law Firm at (800) 401-2066 to request a free legal consultation with an Erie truck accident attorney.