Accidents between large commercial trucks and passenger vehicles usually do not turn out well for the occupants of the smaller vehicles. It is these occupants who die in 97 percent of fatal truck accidents. When they survive, they are often left with serious physical and emotional trauma. Residents of West Virginia may want to know what the most common injuries are.
The impact of a crash can send victims into the window, steering wheel or air bag, easily fracturing or shattering the leg, arm and hip bones in addition to the skull. These injuries may require multiple surgeries to heal. Victims might even sustain what are called traumatic brain injuries. These could be caused by head injuries or concussions, and because their symptoms are wide-ranging and often appear weeks after an accident, they can be hard to diagnose.
Spinal cord injuries are common in truck accidents, sometimes leaving victims with temporary or permanent paralysis. The vertebrae could wind up being crushed, compressed, fractured or dislodged. Additionally, victims could suffer from cuts, lacerations and puncture wounds due to flying debris like shards of glass. The resulting scarring could cause psychological problems.
One frequently reported psychological condition among truck accident survivors is post-traumatic stress disorder. This could manifest itself in recurring nightmares about and flashbacks to the accident as well as continual anxiety. Victims who survive a truck collision may ask a lawyer to determine whether they have the grounds for an accident claim against the trucking company. Unlike with wrongful death suits, comparative negligence will not make a claim automatically void; it may only lower the potential settlement. After having investigators and medical experts build up the case, the lawyer might negotiate for a settlement with the legal representatives on the other side, litigating if the company refuses to pay or offers only a low settlement.