The 5 Most Common Truck Accident Injuries

Any motor vehicle crash can leave the victims with serious or even life-threatening injuries. Accidents involving trucks—including semi-trucks and 18-wheelers—often tend to cause even more damage than a crash involving only passenger vehicles.

Trucks are larger, heavier, and more difficult to control, especially when high rates or speed and other challenging conditions are involved. In fact, according to data published by the Wyoming Department of Transportation, more than 10% of truck injury accidents in 2019 resulted in a fatality.

If you sustained a truck accident injury in a collision you did not cause, you could have the legal right to pursue compensation. For assistance in Casper or anywhere in Wyoming, call on the experienced personal injury attorneys at Platte River Injury Law.

We assist trucking accident victims with personal injury claims, fighting to get them justice and fair compensation for their damages.

Although truck accident victims can suffer from virtually any type of injury, these are the five most common types of severe truck accident injuries we encounter.

Neck & Back Injuries

Injuries of the neck and back are a common result of all types of motor vehicle collisions. In a truck accident, your chances of sustaining whiplash or another type of back-related injury increases significantly. The many fragile components of the neck and back put these areas at greater risk for damage in a truck crash.

Neck and back damage may not present symptoms immediately after a crash. Seeking medical attention immediately is the best way to ensure you get the treatment and care you need as quickly as possible.

Head & Brain Injuries

Head injuries, including concussion, are common in all types of motor vehicle collisions. In truck crashes, however, victims face a higher risk of serious head trauma, potentially resulting in a traumatic brain injury, or TBI. Victims may experience a range of symptoms, including localized pain, dizziness, confusion, and memory loss.

Long-term effects can involve a variety of debilitating physical, mental, and emotional symptoms. Victims may lose the ability to communicate, work, socialize, or care for themselves. Depending on the specific damage that occurs, victims may require medical treatment and care for the rest of their lives.

Spinal Cord Injuries

This type of injury involves the nerves of the spine, including cervical spine, lumbar spine, and thoracic spine. Nerves can recover from some types of damage, but they cannot regenerate on their own. Consequently, serious spinal cord injuries can leave truck accident victims with long-term or permanent damage, including the potential for partial or full paralysis.

Treating spinal cord injuries might require surgeries, physical therapy, and aggressive pain management. Victims may need to use adaptive devices, such as a wheelchair, for the rest of their lives.

As with other types of truck accident injury, seeking medical attention immediately after a crash is critical for injuries involving the spinal cord and other nerves.

Internal Injuries

Semi-truck accidents can lead to various types of organ damage. Some of the most commonly involved internal organs include the kidneys, liver, spleen, pancreas, and bladder. However, any internal body structure can sustain serious damage during a truck crash.

Other potential damage can include lung punctures and related problems that can occur if the victim sustained broken ribs during the crash. These injuries often require emergency treatment, including surgical intervention.

Limb Damage & Loss

18-wheeler accidents commonly result in broken bones, dislocated joints, lacerations, burns, and other damage to the limbs. Arms and legs are especially vulnerable in a crash as well as during any incidents that occur in the aftermath, such as a vehicle fire or being thrown from a vehicle. Victims can experience long-lasting or permanent damage, including the loss of fingers, toes, arms, or legs.

Contact a Wyoming Truck Accident Lawyer Now for Help

No matter what type of injuries you or a loved one sustained in a truck accident, you deserve justice and compensation for your damages. The Wyoming truck accident attorneys of Platte River Injury Law understand how frightening and confusing your situation can be.

We are here to assist you through the legal process and fight to get you the best possible results. You could be entitled to compensation for your injuries as well as lost income, pain and suffering, and emotional trauma.

Contact us now to schedule a free consultation and case analysis or to speak directly to an experienced Wyoming truck accident lawyer.