Common Injuries From Truck Accidents

Collisions with semi-trucks and commercial vehicles cause far more severe injuries than typical car accidents. A fully loaded commercial truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds -- roughly 20 times the weight of a passenger car. The force involved in these crashes produces injuries that often require years of treatment, permanent disability, and lifetime care. Understanding the full scope of your injuries is critical to recovering fair compensation.

Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)

TBI is among the most serious and costly injuries resulting from truck accidents. Even when a victim does not lose consciousness, violent impact can cause the brain to move within the skull, producing bruising, bleeding, and long-term cognitive impairment. Symptoms including memory loss, personality changes, chronic headaches, and difficulty concentrating may not appear immediately. TBI victims often require neurological care, cognitive rehabilitation, and long-term support for years after the crash.

Spinal Cord Injuries and Paralysis

Truck accidents are a leading cause of spinal cord injuries, which can result in partial or complete paralysis. Cervical (neck) injuries may cause quadriplegia. Thoracic and lumbar injuries may cause paraplegia or partial loss of motor function. The lifetime cost of care for a serious spinal cord injury commonly exceeds $1 million, and insurers will fight aggressively to minimize these claims.

Broken Bones and Crush Injuries

Multiple fractures of the legs, pelvis, ribs, arms, and hands are common in truck crashes. In underride accidents -- where a smaller vehicle slides beneath the truck -- crush injuries to the lower extremities can require amputation. Open fractures and crush injuries often require multiple surgeries and extended rehabilitation.

Internal Organ Damage

Blunt force trauma from a truck collision can rupture the spleen, liver, kidneys, or bowel. Internal bleeding is life-threatening and may not be immediately apparent after an accident. Victims should always be evaluated at a hospital even when external injuries appear minor.

Burn Injuries

Truck fuel tanks carry large quantities of diesel fuel. Crashes that puncture or rupture the tank can cause fires resulting in serious burns. Burn injuries require extensive treatment including skin grafts, reconstructive surgery, and long-term wound care.

Neck and Back Injuries (Soft Tissue)

Herniated discs, torn ligaments, and severe whiplash are extremely common in truck accidents even at lower speeds. These injuries cause chronic pain and often require surgery, physical therapy, and permanent lifestyle modifications.

Wrongful Death

A significant percentage of truck accidents result in fatalities. When a family member is killed in a crash caused by a negligent truck driver or carrier, the family has the right to pursue a wrongful death claim for loss of financial support, companionship, and other damages.

Why Truck Accident Injury Claims Require a Specialist

The severity and long-term nature of truck accident injuries means that settling quickly almost always results in a fraction of fair value. Insurers hire medical experts to minimize injury severity and dispute future care costs. BAM Injury Law retains independent medical experts, life care planners, and vocational rehabilitation specialists to document the full scope of damages in serious truck accident cases.

Contact a Utah Truck Accident Lawyer

Attorney Kigan Martineau at BAM Injury Law has litigated truck accident cases against national carriers including UPS, Matheson, and Swift Transportation. The firm handles Utah and Idaho truck accident cases on a contingency fee basis with no fee unless the case is won. Call (801) 839-5652 for a free case evaluation.