Common Injuries after Trucking Accidents
When a semi-truck collides with a car or light truck, the force generated can be 22 times greater than that of a typical passenger car collision. The smaller vehicle bears the brunt of the impact, and the occupants inside are almost always the most severely injured. Not only can these injuries be painful and expensive to treat, but they can also cost victims their lives and livelihoods.
Accident victims have legal rights in South Carolina. If you or a loved one suffered injuries in a truck accident in the Palmetto State, call or contact Wilson Law Group, LLC for a free consultation with a truck accident attorney.
Truck Accident Statistics
Semi-truck accident statistics from the S.C. Department of Public Safety show nearly 4,000 commercial vehicles were involved in traffic collisions in the state in a recent year. Of those crashes, 104 resulted in at least one death. In total, 116 people died and over 200 more suffered serious injuries. Around 2,600 motorists sustained other injuries in heavy vehicle accidents that year.
Below, you’ll learn more about common types of truck accident injuries. Sadly, many can be disabling and last a lifetime.
Head and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Head and brain injuries are different types of trucking accident injuries. Head injuries are limited to the face and skull. Common head injuries include scarring, fractures, visual impairment, and dental injuries.
By contrast, a traumatic brain injury can cause widespread internal brain damage. TBIs can leave victims with memory problems, speech difficulties, cognitive disabilities, personality disorders, and other disabilities.
Spinal Cord Injury
We rely on our backs to perform many routine tasks, from picking up young children to standing up at a cash register or lifting boxes in a warehouse. Even sitting at a desk for a standard workday can aggravate back injuries, such as herniated discs, fractured vertebrae, and compressed nerves.
Truck accidents may also result in debilitating spinal cord injuries, leading to partial or permanent paralysis. When a truck accident injury limits our ability to live and work comfortably, the responsible party can and should be held liable for their negligence.
Broken Bones
The forceful impact of a truck accident can shatter bones easily. While some fractures heal with time and a cast, more serious breaks require surgical repair. Broken bones can also lead to serious complications if splintered bone punctures vital organs, leading to life-threatening internal bleeding.
Internal Injuries
Truck accident victims may suffer internal injuries in many ways. Their abdomen may strike the steering wheel, dashboard, or another hard surface upon impact. Safety devices, such as seat belts and airbags, can also cause internal damage in collisions, even at lower speeds. Unfortunately, internal injuries may go unnoticed for hours after a truck accident. This means a victim may be in critical condition by the time they seek treatment.
Burns and Lacerations
Truck accident victims may also suffer lacerations from airbag inflation, broken or shattered glass, or objects flying around the passenger cabin. Burn injuries can also occur if a crash causes a passenger vehicle to catch fire with occupants still inside or if a victim comes in contact with hot vehicle parts or chemicals.
Amputation
Some injuries are beyond repair. A victim might require a surgical amputation if a limb or extremity is crushed or pinned in the collision. In horrific truck wrecks, the crash may sever a person’s limb entirely, in what is known as a traumatic amputation.
Get Help from a South Carolina Truck Accident Attorney Today
If you were injured in a truck crash in South Caronlina, you deserve skilled and compassionate legal representation from a truck accident lawyer with a history of handling these cases successfully. Contact Wilson Law Group, LLC today for a free initial consultation.