A collision with an 80,000-pound truck can cause catastrophic injuries that go beyond those in standard car accidents. If a serious wreck injures you or someone you love, knowing the types of injuries that commonly come from it can help you prepare for recovery..
How internal damage can affect your body
The sheer force of a truck collision can cause devastating harm to your body, even when there are no visible wounds on the outside. Medical professionals call this blunt force trauma, which occurs when your body strikes objects, is compressed by safety gear or experiences rapid deceleration.
Your internal organs are particularly vulnerable in high-speed accidents.. The liver, spleen, kidneys and lungs can all suffer tears, bruising or rupture.
But one of the most dangerous aspects of internal injuries is that symptoms may not appear immediately. You might feel fine after an accident, only to develop serious complications hours or even days later.
Why burn injuries can be so devastating
Burn injuries in truck accidents can occur in the following ways:
- Thermal burns happen when you come into contact with flames, hot metal or scalding fluids released during a crash.
- Chemical burns may result if the truck was carrying hazardous materials that leak onto your skin.
- Electrical burns can occur if you come into direct contact with live wires or energized truck components exposed during the collision.
The American Burn Association (ABA) reports that motor vehicle fires account for approximately 680 fire-related deaths each year, and many more survivors face months or years of recovery. Burns from truck accidents tend to be especially severe because victims may become trapped in their vehicles or be unable to escape quickly due to other injuries.
What legal actions you can take
Louisiana law allows individuals injured by another party’s negligence to seek compensation from multiple parties, including the truck driver, trucking company, cargo loaders or vehicle manufacturers.
It is important to understand that direct action limits generally prevent you from naming the insurance company directly in your lawsuit. Instead, you must bring your claim against the at-fault parties themselves.
When pursuing a claim, you may recover damages for medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering. The state now follows a pure comparative fault system, meaning that you can still receive compensation even if you share responsibility for the crash. However, this is only as long as you are 50% or less at fault.
Additionally, under the state’s No Pay, No Play law, if you were driving without valid liability insurance at the time of the crash, you may be prohibited from collecting the first $100,000 of your injury and property damage claims.
The state typically allows two years from the date of an accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. Acting promptly can help preserve critical evidence such as driver logs, maintenance records and electronic data from the truck itself.
