Common Injuries After a Commercial Vehicle Accident

When many people think of commercial vehicle accidents, they often first think of transport trucks. While 18-wheelers are certainly some of the largest vehicles on the road, there are other types of commercial vehicles that can also become involved in a crash. Garbage trucks, tow trucks, dump trucks, buses, and courier trucks are just a few other types of commercial vehicles that are involved in crashes on the road. These accidents result in very serious injuries. Below, one of our Baton Rouge commercial vehicle accident lawyers outlines those that are most common.

Amputations

Amputations are some of the most serious injuries after an accident involving a commercial vehicle. An amputation is defined as the loss of any extremity, such as a limb, foot, or finger. In some cases, an amputation can happen at the scene of a crash while in others, a limb or appendage is so severely damaged that it cannot be repaired and must be surgically amputated. In other instances, an injury may become so severely infected that an amputation is necessary.

Due to the extremely severe nature of an amputation, the recovery process is often very long. Not only will the end of a limb need to heal, but you will also need to relearn how to complete the tasks you do every day, such as cooking, grooming, and cleaning. Amputations are also very costly to treat, and you will not be able to return to your job right away. You may also never be able to return to the same line of work you once did and have to obtain lower-paying employment.

Head and Brain Injuries

Every year, approximately 1.5 million Americans sustain a traumatic brain injury. A head injury or traumatic brain injury can also affect you for the rest of your life and they are very commonly sustained in commercial vehicle accidents. Some of the most common types of head and brain injuries are as follows:

• Concussions: Concussions are often seen as minor injuries but truthfully, there is no such thing as a minor brain injury. Concussions are caused by the brain being shaken inside the skull. When left untreated, a concussion can become even more serious.
• Hematomas: A hematoma occurs when blood vessels break and blood collects in the head, pooling in the skin tissue. A hematoma is similar to a bruise, but because they are in the dura or the skull, they are even more dangerous.
• Hemorrhages: A hemorrhage can occur within the skull or brain tissue and cause bleeding. If left untreated, a hemorrhage in the brain can cause coma or even death.
• Contusions: When multiple small hemorrhages leak small amounts of blood into the brain tissue, it can result in a contusion, which is bruised brain tissue. Damage to the brain happens very slowly when a person suffers from a contusion, so this type of injury needs close monitoring.

Head and brain injuries do not always present symptoms right away. The most common symptoms include changes in mood or behavior, confusion, angry outbursts, depression, and memory loss. It is critical that you see a doctor after any commercial vehicle accident, to ensure you receive the treatment you need.

Broken Bones

The adult human body has 206 bones in total, and any one of them can break during an accident. This is particularly true when a crash involves a commercial vehicle. Commercial vehicles are much larger and much heavier than passenger vehicles, and any accident involving one will also involve a great amount of force. There are also many different types of broken bones from clean, complete breaks to breaks that cause the bone to completely shatter.

Treatment for a broken bone varies from minor splints and casts, to surgery. Broken bones also often require extensive rehabilitation, so recovery can be a long process. Without proper care, the bones may not heal properly, which can result in even more issues in the future.

Burn Injuries

Commercial vehicles often carry dangerous chemicals and fuel. When they are involved in a crash, these can spill off the vehicle and cause serious burn injuries. Burn injuries are some of the most painful sustained in commercial vehicle accidents. Not only do they result in large medical bills and a loss of income, but they can also cause permanent scarring and disfigurement. These latter injuries can cause accident victims a lifetime of embarrassment and shame.

Burn injuries are also some of the most common to suffer from complications. These can include fluid loss and serious infections. In some cases, these complications can require an entire limb to be amputated. Accident victims deserve proper compensation for all of the physical and mental injuries caused by burns.

Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal cord injuries can be caused by damage to the discs and bones in the back. If a commercial vehicle accident is severe enough, pieces of a broken bone may become lodged in the spine. During a crash, the neck and head can also be forced sideways, which can also cause a spinal cord injury. The higher up on the spine the injury is, the more severe any resulting injury will be. In some cases, partial or complete paralysis can also result from an injury to the spinal column. These catastrophic injuries cost millions of dollars to treat.

Whiplash

A commercial vehicle accident will likely result in some degree of whiplash. This injury occurs when the neck moves back and forth in rapid succession and the force of a commercial vehicle hitting a passenger car will cause this to happen. Like concussions, many people think whiplash is a minor injury but it is not. Whiplash often has long recovery times and leaves accident victims in a great deal of pain.

Our Commercial Vehicle Accident Lawyers in Baton Rouge Can Help After an Injury

If you have suffered one of the above injuries, or any other, in a crash, our Baton Rouge commercial vehicle accident lawyers at Big River Trial Attorneys can help. Our seasoned attorneys have the necessary experience with these complex cases to get our clients the full compensation they deserve. We will put that expertise to work for you, too. Call us now at (225) 963-9638 or fill out our online form to schedule a free consultation and to learn more.