Commercial trucks weigh much more than small passenger cars on Colorado roadways. Unfortunately, this means that any collision between a larger truck and a smaller vehicle could lead to catastrophic injuries. Here, we want to discuss more in-depth some of the most common injuries individuals are likely to sustain when these incidents occur.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Did you know that approximately 14% of all traumatic brain injuries are caused by vehicle accidents? This figure includes all types of vehicle accidents, not just accidents involving large commercial trucks. The reality is that any collision with these much larger vehicles is more likely to lead to a traumatic brain injury than any other type of accident. Traumatic brain injuries can be mild (concussions), or they can be moderate to severe and leave individuals with long-lasting damage.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Information available from the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC) indicates that approximately 38% of all spinal cord injuries are caused by vehicle accidents. Again, due to the sheer weight of larger commercial trucks, it is much more likely that these incidents will cause a spinal cord injury than traditional vehicle versus vehicle accidents. Spinal cord injuries can lead to massive medical bills, reaching more than $1 million for the first year of medical care alone.
Broken or Dislocated Bones
Depending on the nature of the accident, individuals inside a smaller passenger car could sustain broken or dislocated bones as a result of a collision with a larger commercial truck. Some of the most commonly broken bones caused by these accidents include arm fractures, clavicle fractures, lower leg or even femur fractures, broken fingers or hands, broken wrists or ankles, and facial fractures.
Internal Bleeding
In many cases, individuals experience significant internal bleeding as a result of either penetrating wounds or blunt force trauma caused by a large commercial truck accident. If any type of debris penetrates the skin, this can lead to bleeding inside the body. Even if there has been no break in the skin, that does not mean there is no internal bleeding. Often, the signs and symptoms of internal bleeding do not appear until hours after an incident occurs.
Lacerations or Puncture Wounds
These accidents often lead to significant amounts of debris flying around inside the cab of a car that can strike individuals and cause lacerations or puncture wounds. These types of injuries not only cause significant bleeding initially, but they can lead to long-term scarring and disfigurement.
Emotional and Psychological Injuries
Individuals involved in commercial truck accidents often experience significant emotional and psychological trauma in the aftermath of the incident. Studies show that approximately 9% of all survivors of serious vehicle accidents develop post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. This can include long-term feelings of stress, anxiety, sleeplessness, fear, and various other symptoms that impact a person’s day-to-day life.
When examining all of these injuries, both the visible traumatic injuries and need more unseen emotional and psychological trauma, we see that it is crucial for individuals involved in large commercial truck accidents to recover adequate compensation.