Atlanta Truck Accident Lawyer

The vulnerable position of the human body, combined with the tremendous forces exuded in a truck accident creates a recipe for disaster. Because of their vulnerable position in the human body, back and neck injuries are unfortunately very common in truck accidents.

Here are some of the most common back and neck injuries that an Atlanta truck accident attorney at our firm has come in contact with:

Whiplash

Whiplash occurs when a person’s head is quickly and forcefully thrown backward, then forward. These injuries usually occur in rear-end accidents and often feature stretched or torn ligaments, tendons, or muscles in the neck. When the force of impact is strong enough, whiplash can injure bones in the spine and the discs between the bones.

Slipped or Herniated Discs

The adult human spine is made up of 24 vertebrae (interlocking bones making up the spinal column) cushioned by strong, elastic discs. When outside force, such as the impact in a truck accident, puts force on a person’s spine, the discs can slip out of place (slipped disc), or they may even rupture or tear (herniated disc).

When a spinal disc ruptures, the viscous center of the disc leaks, irritating the surrounding nerves. Both of these conditions – slipped and herniated discs – can be extremely painful and often take four to six weeks just for the pain to subside.

Unlike accidents between passenger vehicles where the frame of the car often remains intact, the force that is present in an accident between a passenger vehicle and a semi-truck will likely cause the car’s metal chassis to bend, perhaps even crushing it.

As a result, the passengers inside the car could be crushed, pinned, or thrown against the door, windshield, dashboard, or any other area of the car, the trauma of which can cause limb, rib, skull, or vertebral bone fractures.

Many people break a bone or two in their lifetime, but fractures resulting from truck accidents are often much more serious and require intensive surgery, after which the victim may have to undergo physical therapy and rehabilitation. Bones can also get infected, especially in the case of truck accidents when so much dirt and debris is released into the air.

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are one of the most dangerous consequences of truck accidents. Unfortunately, they’re prevalent, too – the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that there were 2.87 million traumatic brain injury-related emergency room (ER) visits, hospitalizations, and deaths in 2014 alone.

The cause of these injuries is also concerning. The CDC reports that vehicle accidents are the second-leading cause of TBI in the United States, making up 20% of cases. That’s second only to falls, which make up 52 percent.

TBIs occur when sudden trauma (such as being hit by a semi-truck) causes your head to shake violently, hit an object, or be impaled by an object. Depending on the type and severity of the injury, your skull or brain could be damaged. Depending on which part of your head was damaged, you could suffer a wide range of symptoms, some on the mild side, such as bruising and slight swelling, and some severe like skull fractures, brain herniation, or even death.

There are two types of traumatic brain injury: closed and open. A closed head injury occurs when external trauma causes damage, but there is no penetration of the skull into the brain. A closed head injury can cause swelling or bleeding in the brain, which can be deadly.

Open head injuries occur when an object penetrates the skull and pierces the brain. In truck accidents, this type of injury most often occurs when a passenger vehicle slides underneath a semi-truck.

Symptoms of traumatic brain injury include headache, confusion, nausea or vomiting, fatigue or drowsiness, sensitivity to light or sound, memory or concentration problems, mood changes or mood swings, and changes in sleep patterns.

This is not a full list of symptoms, and you should always speak with a doctor if you believe you were injured in an accident.

Semi-trucks can hold an average of 125-300 gallons of fuel. That’s an enormous amount of flammable liquid which presents a serious risk of burn injury. A collision between a truck and a passenger vehicle could cause the fuel or flammable cargo to catch on fire and spread to nearby vehicles.

That fire or explosion may result in first, second, or third-degree burns. First-degree burns are the least severe and may even heal without medical attention. Second-degree burns are more serious and may cause blistering and pain. Third-degree burns are the most severe and often result in scarring, dead tissue, nerve damage, and sometimes death.

Internal injuries can occur in a truck accident when a person’s body withstands a violent, sudden impact and is thrown or collides with objects inside the vehicle. They could slam into the steering wheel, dashboard, windshield, or be restrained forcefully by their seatbelt.

Some of the internal injuries associated with truck accidents are rib fractures (broken ribs), internal bleeding, abdominal aorta aneurysm (occurs when the stomach is crushed or compressed, causing the artery to rupture), pneumothorax (when a lung is punctured and collapses, causing the chest cavity to fill with air), spleen rupture, and liver or kidney damage.

As long as you are not solely at fault for the accident, you have the right to seek compensation by filing a lawsuit in Georgia. Unfortunately, you will not receive compensation from the other driver until after your case is resolved, so you may need other methods of payment in the meantime.

If you have health insurance, this is your first option. Even if your physician offers to bill your car insurance, opt for health insurance coverage of your bills first. Your car insurance’s medical pay should be your second line of defense if your health insurance cannot cover your expenses.

According to Georgia’s comparative negligence law, the amount you will receive from the other driver’s insurance depends on what percentage you were at fault for the accident. For example, if you are found to be 25% at fault, your total compensation will be reduced by 25 percent. If you were 50% or more at fault for the accident, you will not receive compensation at all.