The Serious Injuries Caused by Truck Accidents in Texas

Imagine what would happen to an egg if you pounded it with a brick. The egg might well be smashed beyond all recognition. That’s what can happen in an accident involving a car and a big truck. A loaded tractor-trailer can be 30 to 40 times heavier than a car, so when these two unevenly-matched vehicles collide, the driver and passengers in the car are likely to suffer severe injuries.  

At DeKeyzer Law, we have extensive experience recovering compensation for the victims of truck accidents, so we know that truck accident injuries often require long-term medical care and have negative consequences that never go away. We work tirelessly to ensure that truck accident victims receive compensation for all of these consequences.

Unfortunately, however, recovery is never easy, even when injuries are horrific. Commercial trucking companies bring in specialized attorneys who use numerous tactics to avoid liability. When dealing with serious injuries, truck accident victims and their families are not able to fight these tactics on their own, so to recover damages for truck accident injuries, it is highly advisable to work with an experienced attorney as soon as possible after the accident. Here are some of the serious injuries commonly caused by truck accidents in Texas.

Traumatic Brain Injuries

Motor vehicle collisions are the most frequent cause of traumatic brain injuries in the state, and because of the physics involved in a truck accident, traumatic brain damage is more likely to occur in an accident where a truck hits a car or smaller vehicle. There are three reasons head injuries are so common in truck accidents.

To begin with, trucks take longer to stop than other vehicles. Their higher speed at the time of impact means they usually hit with great force. Additionally, their weight significantly contributes to the force of impact. The driver and passengers may experience an initial brain injury when the force of the collision causes their heads to strike the windshield or another object. Then they may experience a second brain injury known as a contrecoup injury when their brain tissue rebounds and collides with the opposite side of the skull. These injuries can then lead to additional secondary injuries that develop due to bleeding or other fluid buildup in the brain.

Traumatic brain injuries interfere with brain function in ways that can be profound. They may prevent a truck accident victim from being able to speak or control parts of their body. TBIs can disrupt the ability to reason, concentrate, or remember information so that someone with these injuries is unable to think clearly. 

Additionally, traumatic brain injuries can change a victim’s personality and lead to intense anxiety. They often cause severe headaches, dizziness, and vertigo. In short, a truck accident victim who suffers traumatic brain injuries is not the same person that they were before the accident, and their future potential to work and enjoy life is often substantially reduced.

Injuries to the Back and Spinal Cord

The crushing impact of a truck accident frequently causes damage to the spine and spinal cord of those in smaller vehicles. The spinal cord is a collection of nerves that relay signals between the brain and various parts of the body. Because the spinal cord is such an important and valuable part of the body, it is surrounded by pieces of bone known as the spinal vertebrae. In the ordinary course of events, the vertebrae do a good job of protecting the spinal cord, but the devastation of a truck accident can crush vertebrae, severing or damaging nerves in the spinal cord.

The result is often paralysis. This paralysis affects more of the body, the higher the damage occurs on the spine, because connections below the injury are lost.

When the nerves cannot send signals from body parts to the brain, the victim cannot feel things that limbs are exposed to, such as the heat from a fire. The brain also cannot send signals to control movement. When a spinal cord injury is lower on the spine, it could cause a truck accident victim to be paralyzed from the waist down. They may be unable to walk and may become incontinent. If the damage occurs higher up on the spinal cord, the paralysis is even more extensive. The victim may be unable to move arms or even breathe or eat without assistance.

Damage to the spine itself can cause tremendous pain and lead to long-term disability. Injuries to spinal discs that support each vertebra often become worse over time instead of healing. Damage to the spine and spinal cord can leave a truck accident victim immobilized, unable to work or even perform the functions of daily living without assistance.

Other Severe Injuries from Truck Accidents

The trauma of a truck collision can result in a nearly endless variety of terrible injuries. Some of the other common injuries include:

• Broken and crushed bones
• Severe burns that lead to persistent pain and disfigurement
• Damage to internal organs
• Whiplash and other soft tissue injuries
• Tears and cuts in the skin that can lead to infection and scarring
• Damage to the ears and eyes, impairing sensory function

In addition, truck accident victims often suffer emotional trauma that haunts them for years. They may not be able to sleep, they may be afraid to get in a car, or even leave the house. All of these injuries have a detrimental effect on the quality of life.

Getting Full Compensation for All the Consequences of a Truck Accident

When you or a member of your family has been injured in a truck accident, it is important to understand every potential consequence stemming from the injury so that you can ensure that you seek full compensation to offset each factor and to provide for your future needs. If the injuries make it difficult or impossible to work, you need to seek compensation for lost wages. If injuries result in spinal pain, you deserve compensation not only for the pain you’ve experienced so far but also pain that is likely to continue into the future.

At DeKeyzer Law, we understand how to anticipate future needs and effects, enabling us to establish an appropriate value for your losses in a truck accident case. Then we work as hard as possible to ensure that you receive compensation that matches all of those losses. It is crucial to begin gathering evidence promptly after a truck accident to establish a strong case for liability. Therefore, we recommend that victims seek legal advice immediately after an accident. To learn about the assistance we can provide after a truck accident, schedule a free consultation by calling us at 713-904-4004 or contacting us online today.