In 2013, there were more than 10.5 million large commercial vehicles registered in the United States. These trucks travel the highways on a daily basis to transport materials and goods to store, factories, construction sites, and more. Though commercial vehicles part an important role in the economy, they also present a serious risk of catastrophic injuries to other motorists.
According to statistics provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),1 approximately 95,000 individuals sustained serious injuries in accidents involving large commercial trucks in only one year. In addition, almost 4,000 truck accident victims did not survive their injuries. Some of the catastrophic injuries that can occur in trucks accidents include the following:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI) – Brain injury occurs when damage to the brain tissue interrupts the normal brain functioning. This can result from a direct trauma to the head or even from a sharp jolt of the head. TBI can result in severe cognitive, emotional, and/or physical disabilities for victims.
- Paralysis – If a truck accident victims sustain severe damage to their spinal cord, they may end up paralyzed below the point of the injury. Paralysis can cause a complete loss of movement and sensation in the affected body parts and can cause substantial limitations for a victim. Many paralyzed individuals rely on wheelchairs or may even be bedridden.
- Crushed limbs and amputations – If a bone is shattered or crushed to a point beyond repair, the limb may have to be amputated. Amputations cause serious disabilities and prosthetic limbs can be extremely costly and difficult to adapt to.
- Burns – Many commercial truck accidents may result in a fire or an explosion that causes severe burns to motorists. Burns often require an extensive and painful recovery process and may leave victims with permanent disfigurement and scarring.
The most common cause of large truck accidents is error on the part of the truck driver.2 However, the large majority of people injured in truck accidents are occupants of other vehicles—and not the truck driver. In such cases, seriously injured victims are legally entitled to compensation for their losses from the truck driver and/or the trucking company responsible for the accident.
Find out how an experienced Michigan truck accident lawyer can help you
At the law office of Michigan Injury Lawyers, we have seen first-hand how devastating truck accident injuries can be for victims. Victims may struggle for years or even for the rest of their lives with the effects of their injuries and any negligent truck drivers or trucking companies should be held liable for the victim's losses. We know how complicated and intimidating it can be to take on a large trucking corporation in court and, therefore, we bring our skill, resources, and experience to every case to ensure our clients obtain the most favorable results possible. We can help you recover for your losses, so please call today at 313-438-4357 for a free consultation.
References:
1http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/812150.pdf
2https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/research-and-analysis/research/large-truck-crash-causation-study