A wreck with an ordinary passenger vehicle – even an SUV or a pickup truck – is never going to carry the same danger as a crash with a commercial vehicle.
Largely, that’s for obvious reasons. Even an unloaded semi with its empty trailer attached weighs around 35,000 pounds, while a loaded semi can weigh up 80,000. When you compare that to the average size of a small car (only about 2,500 pounds) or an SUV (which maxes out at about 6,000 pounds), it’s easy to understand why the passenger vehicles sustain the most damage.
Added to the issue of the size differences, you also have the higher profile of commercial vehicles to consider. Smaller vehicles can sometimes be swept underneath them or crushed when the trucks jackknife and topple over.
So, what sort of injuries are common with truck accidents? Consider these:
Spinal cord damage
Even a small amount of damage to your spinal column can leave you in severe pain – while an accident that severs the nerves will leave you paralyzed.
Puncture injuries
There’s a lot of debris that gets tossed around in a wreck, usually with considerable force. People can easily be injured by bits of broken metal or glass that are driven into their bodies during the wreck.
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
TBIs are caused by someone’s brain being abruptly banged around inside their skull, whether they hit their head or not. Even a mild TBI, like a concussion, can cause memory issues and headaches. A serious TBI can lead to life-long disabilities.
Broken bones
This may seem obvious, but victims of truck wrecks often end up with broken bones – and shattered limbs don’t always repair well without surgery.
Internal injuries
Internal injuries may not immediately surface, but anything from the heart and lungs to the kidneys and liver can be damaged in a wreck.
Burns to skin, eyes and lungs
Finally, there’s the fact that many commercial vehicles are carrying cargo that can be caustic or flammable. If their loads end up spewing all over the road and other vehicles, that can easily lead to chemical burns, lung and eye damage.
If you’ve been in a wreck with a truck or your loved one was injured, you have every right to ask for fair compensation. Experienced legal guidance would be helpful.