Types of Injuries Suffered in SemiTruck Accidents

Injuries from Semitrucks

Semitruck accidents (those involving a large commercial truck) are often more devastating than passenger car accidents. Why? Large commercial trucks weigh, on average, 80,000 pounds, whereas an average four-door passenger vehicle is around 3 to 4,000 pounds. When these two types of vehicles collide, the types of injuries suffered can be quite severe, sometimes fatal.


Common Injuries in SemiTruck Accidents

Broken Bones/Fractures

Fractures range in severity. A compound fracture, when the bone pierces the skin, can require extensive medical treatment whereas less severe breaks can heal on their own. A cast (or boot) may be worn for weeks to months and physical therapy or surgery may be required. Some fractures may not heal correctly leaving you with a permanent impairment.

Some of the most frequent bone fractures occur in:

  • Facial bones
  • Arms / Legs
  • Wrists / Hands / Fingers
  • Ribs
  • Neck / collarbone

Have you been involved in an accident involving a semitruck? Call us at (877) 284-6600 for a free, no-obligation review.

Back and Neck Injuries

One of the most serious types of back injuries is a spinal cord injury. This can result in injuries to the bones, muscles or nerves in the spinal cord and lead to temporary or permanent paralysis.

Neck injuries can range from injury to the muscles, joints and ligaments to a broken neck and can reduce one’s range of motion, making it difficult to take care of day-to-day activities.

Whiplash is one of the most common neck injuries. It occurs when the impact from a collision forces your head and neck to move back and forth or sideways violently. It causes tension within the muscles, discs and ligaments resulting in severe soft tissue damage.

Mild, moderate or severe, any amount of neck or back pain can result in one’s inability to work for some period of time.

Head Injuries

head and neck injuries types of injuries suffered devastating injuriesHead injuries, like back and neck injuries, range from mild and temporary to life altering and permanent, such as skull fractures, bleeding on the brain, nerve damage, permanent brain damage, broken facial bones and concussion to name a few.

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the type of brain injury caused by a sudden or sharp impact to the head that damages the brain. It can be an open-head injury where the skull is penetrated or a closed-head injury. It can range from mild to moderate or severe. It can result in lasting personality and/or mood changes or even result in impaired cognitive function. For instance, one could have difficulties with:

  • Paying attention or concentrating
  • Recalling memories
  • Processing information
  • Forming coherent sentences
  • Speaking clearly
  • Reading and writing

Crush Injury

A crush injury occurs when force or pressure is put on a body part, such as when part of the body is squeezed between two heavy objects. This type of injury can lead to health issues such as:

  • Compressed nerves
  • Loss of brain cells
  • Fractured bones
  • Brain damage

Psychological injuries

trucking accidents commercial trucks semi accidents highway accidents semitruck accidents passenger car accidents weight of semitruckBeing in an accident of any kind, especially with a large commercial truck, can lead to psychological or mental health issues such as PTSD, phobias where one cannot drive, or even doing day-to-day tasks such as grocery shopping become a chore. If not addressed, these issues can last a lifetime.

Amputation/Disfigurement

Semitruck accidents can leave the driver and passengers of a standard vehicle disfigured in some way (such as injuries to the face) or need to have a limb amputated. Treatment may require adaptive devices, the need for caretaker services to help with daily needs, extensive physical and psychological therapy and more.

Lacerations and internal injuries are other common injuries suffered in accidents with semitrucks.


Choose Nash & Franciskato

When you have been seriously injured in a semitruck accident due to another’s negligence, you need an experienced truck accident attorney who will collect all the facts about the incident, assess your injuries and answer your questions. Call Nash & Franciskato at (877) 284-6600. We have a successful track record of helping accident victims collect the compensation they deserve.

One of our experienced staff will speak with you personally and provide you with a free, no-obligation case evaluation.

Injured? Start Your Free Case Evaluation Today.

Resources for You

If you would like to receive news and blog updates on a regular basis, sign up to receive our email newsletter. Your email address will only be used to send you our newsletter and respond to inquiries.

SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTER


Past results afford no guarantee of future results and each case is different and is judged on its own merits. The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published July 7, 2020. It was reviewed on February 21, 2023 and updated for content and accuracy.

Contact Us Today for Help!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.