Trucks are a pivotal element in the shipping industry, carrying needed goods to cities and towns nationwide. While drivers are trained to manage the extra bulk and weight of semi-trucks, accidents can and do occur.
There are over half a million truck-related accidents in the U.S. each year, with 55% occurring in rural areas. Unfortunately, these heavy vehicles can cause a lot of damage. Unladen cabs range from about 10,000 to 25,000 pounds, and a fully loaded semi could weigh as much as 80,000 pounds.
It’s no surprise, then, that injuries to drivers and passengers involved in an accident with a big rig can be severe. What are some of the most common injuries resulting from trucking accidents?
Injuries to the Soft Tissue
Soft tissue includes connective and supportive tissues like the muscles, tendons, nerves, and blood vessels. These can be damaged in several ways during an accident. One of the most common injuries in any car accident is whiplash, a neck injury caused by the head whipping back and forth or side to side during an impact.
This can result in neck pain and stiffness, as well as headaches, back pain, dizziness, fatigue, and other symptoms. Other common soft tissue injuries include bruises and cuts, sprains and strains, herniated discs, and other spinal cord injuries.
Head Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury
Airbags for drivers and front-seat passengers can help to prevent serious head injury during an accident, but they aren’t always enough, and they aren’t available to backseat passengers. Colliding with a dashboard or seat back can cause bruises or cuts to the head, as can flying debris.
A strong impact can also cause traumatic brain injury (TBI), such as bruising, bleeding, or other harm to the brain. Headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and sensory symptoms are all common side effects. A concussion is considered a mild traumatic brain injury.
Chest Injuries
Shoulder belts are designed to prevent drivers and passengers from being ejected through a window during a collision. However, when the belt locks up during an accident to keep you in place, the force could cause injuries like bruising and even broken ribs.
Broken Bones
Aside from broken ribs, it’s not unusual to see other broken bones, depending on the severity of the accident. Airbags, crumple zones, and other safety measures in vehicles are intended to absorb some of the crash impact to protect people in the car, but they can only do so much.
While a seat belt holds your body in place and an airbag cushions a blow to the head, your limbs might flail during a crash, hitting hard surfaces or getting crunched as the car crumples. Broken arms and legs are not uncommon.
Seek Help Following an Accident
The first thing you should do after an accident is seek medical attention, whether you have cuts, bruises, broken limbs, or unidentified pain. If you’ve been injured or lost a loved one in a trucking accident in Ohio, an experienced, compassionate, woman-led personal injury firm can help you seek compensation.