What to Know About Truck Accident Injuries in North Carolina
Here in western North Carolina and across the United States, we rely on the trucking industry to transport goods that support our economy. Large commercial trucks share our state and interstate highways with passenger vehicles, motorcycles, and recreational vehicles. When a commercial truck is involved in an accident with one of these other vehicles, the results can be absolutely devastating. The sheer size and weight of commercial trucks can cause serious injuries that will have life-long effects.
It is important in these situations to retain compassionate personal injury attorneys who are experienced in truck accidents in North Carolina. Your well-being, your health, and your future are at stake. You need to make sure you get the compensation you deserve to get better or to recover as best you can.
An experienced personal injury attorney practicing in truck accidents for in western North Carolina, Brian Davis and his legal team are committed to their clients and work hard to make sure you can focus on your health while they focus on recovering just and fair compensation for you. Contact the office of Davis Law Group, P.A. today to learn more about their approach to personal injury claims arising from truck accidents. In the meantime, here’s an overview of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) and the injuries that often materialize in truck accidents in North Carolina.
Commercial Truck Sizes
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the average commercial truck can weigh 20 to 30 times as much as a passenger vehicle. Large trucks often weigh over 26,001 pounds, and most commercial trucks consist of a cab that pulls one or two trailers. On interstate highways, the maximum gross vehicle weight limit for a commercial truck is 80,000 pounds. This maximum weight limit can often be increased if the truck is traveling on secondary highways.
Commercial trucks are also significantly taller than common passenger vehicles, and as such, they have greater ground clearance. Most trailers are at least 13 feet, six inches off the ground. When a smaller vehicle slides partially or completely under a truck, it is referred to as an underride crash. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration upgraded its regulations for underride guards in 2010, but the IIHS believes that even stronger regulations could prevent deaths and serious injuries in crashes.
Typical Truck Accident Injuries that Occur in North Carolina
Whether it is an underride crash or another type of collision with a commercial truck, usually the passenger car takes the brunt of the accident, leading to serious injuries for the car’s passengers. In most cases, a serious accident can leave the passengers trapped in their vehicle until first responders can remove them, creating life-threatening situations.
Serious injuries can lead to serious long-term medical treatment, multiple surgeries, and long stays in the hospital or a rehabilitation facility. The most common injuries that occur in crashes with commercial trucks are as follows.
Brain and Spine Injuries. These are some of the most serious injuries that can have long-term, debilitating effects. Serious concussions can lead to traumatic brain injury, coma, or even death. The diagnosis of brain injury is often missed in the Emergency Room and even at follow up visits. Short term memory loss, trouble finding words, trouble concentrating, and vision problems are all common symptoms following a traumatic brain injury or concussion. Herniated discs can lead to nerve damage and radiating pain or burning into the shoulders, arms, hand, legs or feet. These disk injuries do not show up on x-rays and can only be found on an MRI. Fractures to the spine can leave a person paralyzed either temporarily or for the rest of his or her life.
Broken Bones. Whether it is a compound fracture or a stable fracture, broken bones are extremely painful and sometimes lead to long, expensive treatment. The most common broken bones occur in the legs and arms as the extremities take the full brunt force of trauma in an accident. Broken bones can cause life-threatening injuries if the broken bone tears an artery. Broken bones require emergency medical treatment.
Internal Organ Damage and Bleeding. Extreme trauma to internal organs after an accident with a commercial truck could lead to emergency operations to repair or remove those organs. Internal bleeding can be extremely hard to stop and can result in death, especially if it takes first responders a long time to extricate a victim from an accident scene.
Burns. If a commercial truck is carrying flammable or hazardous material and is involved in an accident with a passenger vehicle, the accident victims could be subjected to an explosion or fire that results in serious, disfiguring burn injuries.
Contact Compassionate, Experienced Truck Accident Attorneys in Asheville, North Carolina
If you were involved in an accident with a commercial truck and suffered injuries—no matter how minor or how serious—Davis Law Group, P.A. has the experience to identify the causes of the accident and will determine who is liable for your injuries and other losses. Contact our firm today at 828-350-7700 for a free consultation of your case, or fill out an online contact form.