Truck Accident Injuries: What Victims Need to Know Before Filing a Claim?

Key Highlights

• A truck accident often results in severe injuries like traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), spinal cord damage, and broken bones.
• The massive size and weight of commercial trucks mean accident injuries are typically more catastrophic than in standard car crashes.
• Victims of a truck accident frequently suffer from internal injuries and severe burns, which require immediate medical attention.
• Documenting your accident injuries and seeking prompt medical care are critical first steps for your health and any future personal injury claim.
• Understanding your legal options is key to recovering fair compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and suffering.

Have you been in a crash involving a commercial truck? Truck accident injuries can be serious and life-changing. Victims may face physical harm, emotional stress, and financial challenges. At Alpha Law Group, we understand how overwhelming this can be.

In this blog, we explain the common truck accident injuries and what you need to know before starting a claim. You will learn how to protect your rights and take steps toward fair recovery.

Understanding Truck Accident Injuries

The injuries people get in a truck accident can be very bad and hard to deal with. This happens because a commercial truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. The force in a crash from such a big truck is huge. It often causes very serious harm to people in smaller cars. Many times, these crashes lead to life-threatening problems and sometimes to permanent disabilities.

Knowing the types of accident injuries you might have is one of the first things to do to move forward. It will help you with both your recovery and the legal part of things. The kind of truck accident injuries you get will play a big part in your personal injury claim. This affects how much money you could get for your medical care, lost pay, and other costs.

How Truck Accidents Differ from Regular Car Crashes?

The main difference between a truck accident and a car accident is how big the crash is. A commercial truck, when it is full, can be more than 20 times heavier than a normal car. Because of the size and weight of the truck, the force it gives to the car in an accident is much greater. People in a car that gets hit by a truck often get much worse accident injuries.

People in the smaller car in a truck crash can have crush injuries, traumatic brain injuries, or spinal cord problems. There is a big chance the truck can roll over the smaller car or drive over it. Truck accidents can be more deadly and life-changing than car accidents.

The legal side is also harder with a truck accident. A commercial truck crash can involve many people, like the driver, the trucking company, the people who made the truck, or even those who loaded the cargo. There are many rules for trucks, and insurance for trucking companies can be tough to handle. These things make a truck accident much more complicated than a regular personal injury case from a car accident between two cars.

Statistics on Truck Accident Injuries in Florida

National trends reveal a troubling increase in the severity and frequency of truck accidents, a reality that impacts Florida’s busy highways. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 5,837 large trucks were involved in fatal crashes in a single recent year, marking a significant rise over the last decade. This highlights the growing danger posed by commercial vehicles on our roads.

These statistics underscore the risk of severe injuries and fatalities when large trucks are involved in collisions. As these vehicles account for a disproportionate number of fatal crashes relative to the miles they travel, the data points to the devastating consequences of a truck accident. For detailed statistics specific to our state, you can visit the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles dashboard.

The most common injuries reflect the violence of these crashes. Below is a look at the types of harm frequently seen.

Common Types of Truck Accident Injuries

Victims of truck accidents can get many types of physical injuries. Some may look small at first, but others can be very serious. Even a crash at low speed can still lead to significant damage. It is important for all truck accident victims to get fast medical attention. This helps doctors find out how bad their accident injuries are.

After a truck accident, head, spine, and bone injuries are most common and can have long-lasting effects. Knowing these helps you notice problems early and communicate your needs to your doctor and lawyer.

Head and Brain Trauma, Including TBIs

Head and brain injuries are some of the most serious outcomes of a truck accident. The strong, sudden force of a crash can make a person’s head hit something hard, like the dashboard or a window. This can cause a traumatic brain injury. A traumatic brain injury can be a mild concussion. It can also be a more serious injury that leads to permanent brain damage.

Signs of brain injuries can be confusion, not being able to remember things, headaches, dizziness, or sudden changes in mood or the way you act. Sometimes, people do not notice the signs of a traumatic brain injury right away. That is why it is so important to see a doctor, even if you feel okay after a truck accident. You can read more about traumatic brain injury at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A traumatic brain injury can seriously impact your life. You may need ongoing rehab or daily support, and it can make work, relationships, and everyday activities much harder.

Spinal Cord Injuries and Paralysis

The force from a truck accident can cause serious harm to the spinal cord. This may happen from herniated discs, broken bones in the spine, or direct hits that hurt or press on the nerves in the back. These injuries can be very bad and can change a person’s life for good.

Some spinal cord injuries cause partial or full paralysis. This can be paraplegia, where the lower body cannot move, or quadriplegia, where both arms and legs do not work. People who have this may lose feeling and movement. The body may not work like before. Many have to rely on others for help with their daily life.

Recovering from spinal cord injuries often requires extensive treatment and costs. Surgery may be needed, along with physical and occupational therapy, and long-term care for nerve pain.

Bone Fractures and Crush Injuries

A truck accident can be very violent. It often leads to broken bones. The arms, legs, ribs, and pelvis are often broken. This happens because the car can’t withstand the crash. These broken bones can take months to heal. Some people may have lifelong problems from them.

When a crash with a truck is really bad, people can get crush injuries. They can get stuck in twisted metal and broken parts. This can hurt soft tissues, nerves, and inner body organs, as well as break bones. These injuries can be very serious. They may bring on compartment syndrome, which can put a limb at serious risk.

Severe bone breaks or crush injuries often need surgery with plates, screws, or rods. Recovery can take a long time, including casts and physical therapy, and some may have lasting pain or limited movement.

Severe and Catastrophic Injuries from Truck Accidents

A truck accident can cause more than common broken bones or soft tissue pain. It can lead to severe injuries that change a person’s life forever. Catastrophic injuries often mean a victim will need medical care for the rest of their life. They may have permanent disabilities. Many people cannot get back to their old way of living after this happens.

If you or someone you know faces injuries this serious, dealing with the legal side can be hard. It is not easy to know what fair compensation looks like when the injuries are this severe. 

A personal injury lawyer with truck accident experience can help. The right lawyer knows how to fight for your needs, the right medical care, and the money you will need for your life ahead.

Burn Injuries and Lacerations

Truck accidents can lead to fires, blasts, or dangerous spills, and people might get serious burn injuries because of this. There can be first-degree burns that hurt just the outer layer of the skin. Some can get third-degree burns where all layers of the skin are destroyed, and muscle or bone can also be hurt. These injuries cause a lot of pain and leave scars or marks that stay forever.

Lacerations, which are deep cuts, often happen from broken glass or sharp metal scraps during a truck accident. These types of wounds can make you lose a lot of blood, and they sometimes hurt tendons, nerves, or muscles too. Bad lacerations might need stitches or surgery to fix and will often leave a mark you can see.

Burns or deep cuts from a truck accident need careful, long-term treatment. This may include surgery, medication, pain management, wound care, and physical therapy to restore movement.

Internal Organ Damage

One of the most dangerous things about a truck accident is the risk of internal organ damage. The strong force from the crash can hurt organs like the lungs, liver, spleen, or kidneys. These organs can break or have serious injuries. You can not see these internal injuries from the outside, and they can be life-threatening if you do not find and treat them right away.

Internal bleeding is a common and very serious result of organ damage. When blood vessels inside your body get torn, blood can leak into your body. This may cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure, shock, and even death. If you have stomach pain, feel dizzy, or faint, these are warning signs. You must get emergency medical care if you notice them.

Internal injuries from a truck accident may not appear immediately. Getting a full medical checkup, including scans, helps detect organ damage early so you can get proper treatment.

Fatalities Resulting from Truck Collisions

It can be heartbreaking when there is a truck crash. The large size of a commercial truck often causes very serious injuries. If a loved one dies in a crash with a truck driver or trucking company, the family is left with deep sadness and sudden financial troubles. Most of the time, these painful losses happen because the truck driver or the trucking company did not act responsibly.

When this happens, the law lets family members file a wrongful death claim. This is a way to try and hold those who are responsible for the truck crash accountable. The claim asks for compensation so the family can get help for damages from the loss of their loved one. The money can give the family some financial security during this hard time. 

A wrongful death case can cover funeral costs, lost income, and the support your loved one provided. While it cannot bring them back, it helps the family get support and justice.

Immediate Steps After a Truck Accident Injury

The time right after a truck accident can be busy and hard to handle. What you do then can affect your health and whether you can start a legal claim. The main things to do are to care for yourself and to keep important evidence safe. For people hurt in an accident, it helps to know what steps to take.

Seeking Emergency Medical Attention

Your health needs to be the most important thing after a truck accident. You should get emergency medical help right away, even if you think your injury is not serious. Sometimes, you do not feel pain because your body is full of adrenaline. Some serious injuries, like internal bleeding or concussions, might not show right after the crash.

When you call 911, police and paramedics arrive to help. They provide care and may take you to the hospital. Getting checked quickly protects your health and strengthens any legal claim. Always:

• Call 911 to report the truck accident and ask for an ambulance.
• Let paramedics check your health at the scene.
• Go to the ER for a full medical evaluation.
• Do what the doctors say and go to every follow-up appointment for medical care.

Documenting the Accident and Injuries

If you are well enough, it’s important to get details of the scene after a truck accident for your personal injury claim. After the crash, things on the scene can disappear fast when the cars are towed away and the road gets cleared. If you can take photos right then, it helps to prove what happened and who was to blame.

Take photos and videos from different angles. Capture vehicle positions, damage, tire marks, street signs, weather, and any injuries. These help show how the truck accident happened. You can help your injury claim by saving other important info and keeping good records. Make sure you do the following:

• Get the names and contacts for any people who saw the accident.
• Swap the driver’s license and insurance details with the other driver.
• Keep every bill, receipt, and paper from your doctor about accident injuries and medical bills.
• Write down everything you remember about the truck accident as soon as you can.

These steps can help you build a good case for your injury claim.

Notifying Insurance and Authorities

After a truck accident, the first thing you have to do is tell the police and your own insurance company about what happened. The police will write a report, and this record is needed by insurance companies and may help later if the case goes to court. When the officer gets there, only say what you know. Just give the facts and do not say it was your fault.

Call your insurance company right after the crash. Be careful talking to the truck company’s adjuster; they may try to reduce your claim. It’s best to speak with a lawyer first.

This whole process can be hard for accident victims, and insurance companies for trucks can be very tough. If you want to keep your rights safe:

• Ensure a police report is filed.
• Report the accident to your own insurer.
• Avoid speaking with the trucking company’s insurance adjuster.
• Do not sign any documents or accept a settlement offer without legal advice.

Long-Term Impact on Victims and Their Families

After a truck accident, the problems can last much longer than the first physical injuries. Accident victims and their families often go through more struggles that can change their quality of life for a long time. People have to handle things like chronic pain, emotional trauma, and making big changes to how they live each day.

Living with pain that does not go away and getting used to new disabilities is not easy. It may take a lot of time and effort, and every day can be hard. Mental health is a big part of recovery, too. Truck accidents can be hard on the victims and their loved ones who help care for them. The impact affects both the injured person and those close to them.

Physical Recovery and Rehabilitation Needs

Physical recovery after a truck accident can be hard and take a long time. Many people need a lot of help to get back their strength and movement. This often means they go to physical therapy and work on coordination. If there is a spinal cord injury or a bad fracture, it can take months or even years to heal.

One big problem that can come from a truck accident is chronic pain. The wounds may get better, but there can still be pain that does not go away. Chronic pain may make it tough for you to work, sleep, or do what you like. Sometimes, the pain stays for years, and people may need more medical care, pain management, and medicine for it.

When filing a claim, consider future needs. A personal injury attorney can help estimate long-term care costs like rehab, therapy, and other support, ensuring your compensation covers your lifetime needs.

Emotional and Psychological Effects

Running into a commercial truck can hurt people not just in their bodies, but in their minds, too. For many accident victims, personal injury leads to more than broken bones. People can get strong emotional trauma. Some go through post-traumatic stress, where the crash haunts their thoughts. Memories come back, making nightmares and leaving them with worry and fear that can be hard to shake off. Even driving or riding in a car can feel scary for a long time.

Accident victims often experience depression and feel anxious. The pain from the injury, all the medical bills, and not being able to get back to work make life feel heavy. This stress can lead people to give up hope for things to get better. It hits mental health hard, hurts their relationships, and can take away the joy from daily life.

People need to see that this pain is real and should be part of every injury claim. When talking with your lawyer about personal injury, the cost of therapy or counseling for mental health has to be included with other medical bills. Getting help with mental health is important for the healing process after a commercial truck accident.

Adjusting to Disabilities and Life Changes

When a truck accident causes a permanent disability, the accident victims and their families have to face changes they did not expect. Life can quickly become very different. Daily routines, the place where you live, and the way you work may all need to be changed. This can be hard on both emotions and money.

Sometimes, accident victims have to change parts of their home. They might need to put in a ramp or make the bathroom easier to use. These changes help with things like a wheelchair or other ways to get around. Losing a job can bring financial problems. It can also feel difficult not to do hobbies or join in with friends, and this can make the accident victims and their families feel less happy with their quality of life.

A good personal injury claim after a truck accident should look at every way life is changed. The injury claim needs to ask for not just money to pay medical bills, but also money for making your home easier to live in and for missing out on good things in life. This gives accident victims a better chance to live as well, as fully, and as independently as possible.

Legal Options and Filing a Bodily Injury Claim

If you have been in a truck accident and got hurt because someone else was careless, you do have legal ways to try and get justice. The best way to do this is by making a personal injury claim for your accident injuries. This helps you ask for fair compensation from the people to blame. It is often not easy, as big trucking companies and their insurance groups will be working against you.

After a truck accident, working with a good truck accident attorney or a personal injury lawyer will help you the most. They know what to do to help you with your injury claim. The lawyer can build your case, speak with the insurance people, and fight to get the maximum compensation for all your needs, both now and later on.

Compensation for Medical Expenses, Lost Wages, and Pain

A good injury claim should give you money for many types of harm you have faced. The main goal is to help make you whole again by taking care of both your money losses and other kinds of harm after the accident. This can be for more than just your first medical expenses.

Fair compensation needs to cover all your past and future costs from your injuries. This means looking at the bills you have paid and guessing what you may still need to pay for things like surgery, physical therapy, and extra care later on. Lost wages also cover money you have missed, plus any drop in your future income if you cannot work as before.

A full injury claim asks for payment for:

• Medical Expenses: All the costs for things like being in the hospital, surgery, medicine, and rehab after the accident.
• Lost Wages: Money you did not get when you could not work and less earning power for the future.
• Pain and Suffering: Money for your physical pain, emotional trauma, and any loss in your quality of life.
• Property Damage: The cost to fix or replace your vehicle.

Causes and Circumstances Leading to Truck Accident Injuries

Knowing the common causes of a truck accident is key to finding out who is at fault and stopping these crashes in the future. Most times, a crash with a commercial vehicle is not just an accident. It is often because of someone’s mistake or because someone did not do what they were supposed to do. To make a case and take action, people must first find out what caused the problem.

Some of the causes of truck accidents can come from things like truck driver tiredness or mechanical problems. There are many other ways a truck accident can happen too. For accident victims, showing what led to the crash is needed. This way, people who caused the accident can be held responsible and victims can get money for their accident injuries.

Common Driver Errors and Negligence Factors

Many truck accidents happen because the truck driver makes a mistake. Driving a big commercial vehicle is hard and needs a lot of attention. If the driver makes a small mistake, it can lead to a truck accident. When drivers make these mistakes, it is often called negligence. This is an important part of a personal injury claim.

The most common ways a driver can be negligent are by being distracted, like texting or talking on the phone, or by speeding to keep up with strict deadlines. Some drivers may be under the influence of alcohol or drugs. This includes stimulants that drivers use to stay awake. These things can slow down how fast drivers react, which can very quickly lead to a serious trucking accident.

Another big reason for truck accidents is driver fatigue. The law sets rules for how long a truck driver can be driving on the road. But there are still drivers and trucking companies that break these rules. If a driver is very tired, they are just as much at risk as a driver who is under the influence. A tired truck driver may not react on time, and this can make a trucking accident much more likely.

These problems show why it is so important to pay attention to truck driver actions when thinking about a personal injury or injury claim after a truck accident involving a commercial vehicle.

Mechanical Failures, Maintenance Issues, and Equipment Malfunctions

Not every trucking accident happens because the driver made a mistake. Many times, the cause can be mechanical problems from poor maintenance. A commercial truck has many parts that need to work well. If some of these parts are not checked and fixed, it can make the driver lose control.

Two of the most common problems are brake failure and tire blowouts. Brake failure stops the driver from being able to stop the truck, and tire blowouts can make the truck move in ways the driver cannot control. Other problems, like trouble with steering or the suspension, can also lead to crashes.

If a trucking accident occurs because the commercial truck broke down in some way, the trucking company might be found at fault. The company needs to make sure its trucks are kept safe and can be used on the road. If it does not do regular checks and repairs, it is not doing what is required by law.

Weather and Road Conditions Contributing to Crashes

Bad weather and rough roads make driving hard for everyone, but it is even riskier for big trucks. Things like rain, fog, and strong winds can make it tough for a truck driver to see or stay in control. This raises the chance of a truck accident.

Truck drivers are trained to change how they drive when things get tough. They need to slow down in heavy rain. They should stop driving if there is thick fog. If a truck driver does not take care and a truck crash happens, they can still be responsible. Bad weather does not erase that. You can learn more about how weather affects road safety from the Federal Highway Administration.

Problems like bumpy roads, building areas with not enough warning signs, and other dangers can also lead to a truck accident. In these cases, the government or the building company may have a part in causing the truck crash and may be responsible for severe injuries.

The Role of Cargo Loading and Weight Distribution

The way cargo is put on a commercial truck is very important for how stable the truck is when it goes down the road. If the cargo is not loaded the right way, or if they put on more weight than the rules allow, the truck can get top-heavy. This makes the truck hard to drive, especially when it goes around a turn or if the driver has to move fast. This can cause a jackknife or a rollover truck accident.

The people who load the truck must spread out the weight the right way. If the cargo is not tied down well, it can move while the truck is moving. This makes the truck unsteady and can lead to the driver losing control. When this happens, it can cause a crash that causes some of the most common truck accident injuries for people on the road.

If an accident happens because cargo wasn’t loaded properly, responsibility may extend beyond the driver or trucking company. Checking how the cargo was loaded and its weight helps determine who is at fault.

The Bottom Line

To sum up, it is important to know about truck accident injuries if you want to get justice and receive the right compensation. Injuries from these types of accidents are often worse than those in regular car crashes. Trucks are bigger and heavier than cars, so crashes can cause serious damage. It’s important to know common injuries, what to do after a truck accident, and its long-term effects.

At Alpha Law Group, we help people through these tough times. If you have a truck accident injury, reach out to us. You can get a free consultation with us or call us (941)-304-1500 today. We want you to get the compensation that you need and deserve.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I recover damages for emotional trauma after a truck accident?

Yes, in Florida, you can receive compensation for emotional distress, anxiety, or mental suffering from a truck accident, along with coverage for medical expenses, lost wages, and related damages.

How are commercial truck accident injury claims handled in Florida?

In Florida, truck accident claims require proving negligence, identifying responsible parties, and calculating damages. A lawyer negotiates with insurers and can file a lawsuit if fair compensation isn’t offered.

What treatment options are available for serious truck accident injuries?

Serious truck accident injuries often need surgery, long-term physical therapy, and ongoing pain management. All treatments can be costly, and these expenses are usually included in compensation claims.

What happens if I am partly at fault for a Florida truck accident?

Florida’s comparative negligence reduces your compensation based on your fault. A personal injury attorney can help lower your share of fault to maximize the settlement for your injuries.

What can I do if my truck accident injuries were caused by a hit-and-run driver?

If a hit-and-run causes injuries, you may use uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. A lawyer can evaluate your case and help you pursue proper compensation efficiently.