Common Injuries in Truck Accidents

When you get into a motor vehicle accident with a truck, the odds are that you or your passengers are more likely than the truck driver to suffer an injury. Typical truck accident injuries occur because trucks weigh as much as 30 times more than the average car or SUV. And when you’re on the receiving end of a collision with a truck, you want to be represented by attorneys who have experience dealing with truckers and trucking companies. In New Jersey, that’s RAM Law, where you’ll find a truck accident injuries attorney who knows how to get you fair compensation for your injuries and property damages. Call RAM Law for settlement guidance.

Are There Truck Accident Injuries Lawyers to Work on My Case?

Before you get to the point of suing a trucking company for injuries that you or your passengers received, allow the attorneys at RAM Law to negotiate with the companies and insurance carriers involved. Contact one of our New Jersey offices with a team of expert truck accident injury attorneys, they know the state laws and how best to navigate them for your benefit.

Because of the size of most commercial trucks, passengers in standard cars are way more likely to suffer traumatic injuries when they get into a truck accident. Depending on the cause of the accident and the type of truck accident, common truck accident injuries include head trauma, broken bones and burns.

What Should I Do if I’m Injured in a Traffic Accident with a Truck?

Any type of injury can be catastrophic for you and your passengers in a trucking accident. So when injuries occur, first check yourself, your passengers and anyone else involved in the accident to find out if anyone has been injured. Then get help immediately by:

• Calling emergency first responders
• Accepting all the medical care offered at the scene
• Allowing recommended treatment to stabilize you for transportation to the nearest hospital
• Undergoing recommended tests when you get to the hospital
• Following your attorney’s advice and not admitting fault

If you’re conscious, ask the first responders or other witnesses to gather as much evidence as possible that can bolster your case and your settlement for damages. Provide as much information as possible to law enforcement officers.

What Are Common Truck Accident Injuries?

The National Safety Council reported that 118,000 commercial trucks in the United States caused injuries in accidents on the road in 2019. That’s a 31 percent increase from the previous 10 years. When you’re involved in an accident with a truck, odds are that you are going to have some injuries — if you survive.

The most common injuries in New Jersey often are due to distracted driving on the part of truck drivers. Typical truck accident injuries include:

• Broken bones and fractures. Broken bones may require surgery to heal properly, which may mean months of rehabilitation. Even with surgical repair, you may end up with pins or plates in your limbs as a result of a severely broken bone that can cause pain for the rest of your life.
• Back and neck injuries. The soft tissues in your neck and back are highly susceptible to damage on impact, especially when a truck’s involved. Whether you get whiplash or lesser back injuries, you may experience long-term consequences from these types of common truck accident injuries.
• Head and brain injuries. Traumatic brain injuries, referred to as TBIs, are among the most common because your head gets thrown back and forth on impact. When your brain bounces around inside your skull, long-term brain damage can occur. A TBI can affect your life with side effects like memory loss and changes in your personality. Other typical head injuries include facial lacerations and concussions.
• Spinal cord injuries. Talk about long-term consequences, a spinal cord injury can leave you with partial or total paralysis. You may end up in a wheelchair, unable to walk again, lose movement in your arms and legs or even require help to breathe, bathe and eat.
• Burn injuries. If the truck that hit you carried flammable or hazardous material, you and your passengers may be burned by fire or an explosion. Leaking gas from your car may cause vehicles to explode, burning you. Burns leave you with permanent scars.
• Amputations. If gangrene or a severe infection sets into a limb, it’s possible you have to face amputation.
• Wrongful death. A wrongful death verdict is considered a catastrophic trucking injury. Your family should seek compensation from insurance companies and the trucking company that employed the trucker who caused the accident. You need the best New Jersey attorney to file a wrongful death lawsuit because insurance companies tend to fight the amount of compensation requested.

What Should I Do after a Truck Accident Injury?

Contact RAM Law in New Jersey so that they can initiate an investigation immediately following a trucking accident. The trucker’s employers and insurance carriers move quickly after an accident, sometimes trying to conceal or destroy evidence and cover up certain aspects of the situation. Besides the first responders who arrive to stabilize and transport you and your passengers, you also need a team of investigators, trained in commercial truck accidents, on the accident scene just as quickly.

RAM Law can take measures to determine why the accident happened. Your truck accident injuries attorney also helps you get medical attention and appropriate treatment as they fight for your fair and complete compensation. They also counsel you to continue to collect and save evidence regarding the severity of your injuries with things like:

• Physical therapy reports
• Medical records of ongoing, related surgeries and other procedures
• Lost wage estimates
• Drastic changes in your ability to work in your previous profession, if at all
• Mental health reports
• Employer letters
• Receipts for other non-insured medical expenses
• Documentation of travel necessary for treatments and money you need to pay drivers

Your legal team can tell from the scene, the police reports and witness statements who is liable and who should be held accountable to compensate you for your truck accident injuries. Your added, complementary documentation helps solidify your case.