Commercial trucks, whether they are 18-wheelers, semi-trucks, dump trucks or
tractor-trailers, have the potential to cause serious injuries or even fatalities in the event of a crash. Many loaded trucks weigh nearly 70,000 pounds more than an average passenger vehicle. As a result, occupants of smaller passenger vehicles tend to face an increased risk of injury when their vehicle collides with a big rig or a large truck.
Spinal cord injuries are among the most common types of injuries suffered in a truck accident. These injuries can seriously affect the victim’s neck and back and may range in severity from whiplash to paralysis. Many truck accident victims who suffer spinal cord injuries end up requiring extensive medical care and rehabilitation. In some large truck accident cases, even after receiving treatment and therapy, individuals may be left with permanent injuries and disabilities.
Types of Spinal Cord Injuries
There are a number of different types of spinal cord injuries that affect victims. The severity of the spinal injury will typically depend on the location of the impact. In general, the higher up the injury is, the more severe the outcome. For example, if you have suffered an injury to the first or second vertebra of the neck or mid-cervical vertebra, your breathing may be affected. An injury that occurs in the lower spinal column may affect bladder function, movement of the legs as well as sexual organs.
A spinal injury may result in quadriplegia (loss of movement and sensation in all four limbs), paraplegia (loss of movement and sensation in both legs) or triplegia (loss of movement and sensation in both legs and one arm). It must also be determined whether a spinal injury is complete or incomplete. A complete injury refers to a total lack of movement or sensation below the impact point. An incomplete injury means there is still some degree of movement and sensation below the level of the injury.
Here are some of the most common injuries suffered by victims of truck accidents:
Fractured vertebrae: Truck accidents commonly cause broken bones including a broken spine. These types of injuries may result in lengthy hospitalization and the need for extended treatment, rehabilitation and care.
Herniated disc: This occurs when a tear or weakness in a disc’s outer layer allows fluid to leak into the spinal canal. This may cause persistent pain. If you have a herniated disc you may feel sharp pain, tingling in your arms, muscle tightness in your spine or even cramping.
Bulging disc: This occurs when a disc protrudes through the spine. Such an accident may cause you to experience a lot of pain and other symptoms including muscle spasms, pain or tingling in the neck, shoulders or arms and upper back pain.
Pinched nerve: A pinched nerve occurs when too much pressure is applied to a nerve by surrounding tissues such as bones, cartilage, muscles or tendons. Common symptoms include pain, numbness, weakness, tingling or a combination of those.
Protecting Your Legal Rights
Victims who have been injured in truck accidents can seek compensation for damages including, but not limited to, medical expenses, lost income and benefits, hospitalization, rehabilitation, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc. Families of deceased accident victims can file a wrongful death lawsuit seeking compensation for damages such as lost future income, funeral costs, medical expenses, pain and suffering, etc.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, or if you have lost a loved one in a motor vehicle accident caused by a negligent or careless driver, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you.
For over 49 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims. Our law firm recently recovered $5,600,000 for a bicyclist who was hit by a van, and $2,550,000 for another victim of a truck accident, and $3,000,000 for a pedestrian who was hit by a car, and the full $1,000,000 insurance policy for a pedestrian who was hit by a truck, and $4,625,000 for a driver who was in a car and was hit by a van, and $2,500,000 for a man who fell through an improperly secured hole. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury and/or medical malpractice cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
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