Common Truck Accident Injuries in Indiana

Indianapolis truck accident

Were you injured in a truck accident in Indianapolis? Was someone else responsible? If so, you could be entitled to compensation for the injuries you suffered and other damages such as lost wages, lost quality of life, property damage, and pain and suffering.

However, recovering compensation for a truck accident injury can be more complex than other types of traffic collision claims. That’s because liability for a tractor-trailer crash could rest with multiple parties. You’ll probably have to deal with several insurance companies during settlement negotiations, and you can count on adjusters to try to push the blame for the accident onto you. No one deserves to handle that kind of pressure alone. Instead, consider working with an experienced truck accident attorney.

The skilled legal team at Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC can help you identify every liable party in your truck accident claim and push for maximum compensation for your injuries. Let us fight for the money you deserve while you focus on healing and putting your life back together.

Call (800) 746-0226 or contact us today for a free consultation with an Indianapolis truck accident attorney.

Collisions involving semis, box trucks, and other commercial motor vehicles can result in severe injuries. A fully loaded tractor-trailer can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, roughly 20 to 30 times more than the average passenger vehicle. This vast size and weight difference explain why a car nearly always gets the worse of a collision with a semi-truck — and why the occupants of that vehicle may suffer serious injuries. The following list contains some of the most common injuries suffered by trucking accident victims based on truck accident stats from 2022:

Neck and Back Injuries

The force of impact between a large truck and a passenger vehicle can cause the smaller vehicle’s occupants to suffer whiplash, herniated discs, pinched nerves, fractured vertebrae, and other soft tissue injuries. Many of these injuries require extensive medical treatment, rehabilitative care, and medication for victims to make the best possible recovery. The worst neck and back injuries may lead to lifelong disabilities.

Whiplash is a particularly common injury from truck accidents. It happens when the neck snaps back and forth upon impact, similar to the crack of a whip. This rapid movement can tear ligaments, tendons, and muscles in the shoulders and neck, resulting in chronic pain and a limited range of motion. Symptoms of whiplash may not appear right away for days or weeks after a crash.

Head or Brain Injuries

Many truck accident victims sustain traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and other head injuries. TBIs usually occur due to a violent blow to the head, resulting in trauma that ranges from mild to catastrophic.

Other common types of head and brain injuries include:

  • Hemorrhages
  • Concussions
  • Hematomas
  • Skull fractures

Common brain injury symptoms include:

  • Constant nausea or vomitingtraumatic brain injury
  • Persistent headache
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Seizures
  • Dilation of the pupils
  • Inability to wake up

Brain injuries can also cause psychological and behavioral issues such as memory loss, confusion, difficulty concentrating, motor problems, speech impairments, aggression, mood swings, and depression.

Internal Injuries

Internal injuries, or internal organ damage, is not always apparent after a truck accident, which is why seeking prompt medical attention is so important. Left untreated, an internal injury can be fatal.

Some of the most common internal injuries include:

  • Internal bleeding
  • Brain bleeding
  • Punctured lungs, which can occur due to broken ribs
  • Abdominal aortic aneurysm
  • Organ damage, including ruptured spleen, liver, kidneys, and diaphragm

Internal injuries frequently occur due to blunt force trauma when the victim’s body slams into something inside the vehicle. These injuries can result in symptoms as varied as confusion, weakness, respiratory issues, fatigue, pain, chills, pallid skin, and blood in vomit or urine.

Broken Bones

Broken bones are very common in truck accidents, particularly in the ribs, skull, limbs, and vertebrae. Fractures occur when passengers suffer a severe blow or get pinned inside their vehicles following a crash.

Many bone fractures require surgical intervention and may take weeks or months to heal fully. Victims may need regular physical therapy sessions as part of their recovery.

Burn Injuries

Burn injuries happen when truck accident victims are exposed to fire or toxic chemicals, potentially leading to chronic pain and permanent disfigurement.

Burns are classified according to their severity:

  • First-degree burns affect only the top layer of skin. They typically heal on their own.
  • Second-degree burns are more serious and involve the top two layers of skin. They may benefit from medical intervention.
  • Third-degree burns are the most severe type of burns. They can cause tissue death, scarring, and nerve damage, and victims typically require long-term medical care. Doctors may treat third-degree burns with skin grafts, pain medication, and antibiotics to prevent infection.

Lacerations

Truck accident victims exposed to shattered glass, debris, and other materials may suffer cuts, scrapes, and skin lacerations. Lacerations typically require medical treatment to clean the wounds and prevent infection. Deep cuts after a truck accident can be life-threatening.

Rib and Torso Injuries

Blunt force trauma can result in injuries to the ribs and torso, including:

  • Broken or fractured ribs, which can damage internal organs
  • Flail chest, which occurs when multiple ribs in the same area become detached from the rib cage, causing that section to float without skeletal support
  • Soft-tissue damage

Seat Belt Injuries

Seat belts can save lives and should always be worn. But in some truck accidents, seat belts can also cause injuries, including:

  • Seat belt syndrome – A catch-all term for injuries caused by a restraint, seat belt syndrome may include bruising to the chest or abdomen, spinal cord injuries, and internal organ damage.
  • Abdominal injuries – Stress caused by a taut seat belt can result in intestinal stricture, bowel perforations, and heart and cardiovascular system injuries.
  • Musculoskeletal injuries – Lap belts more commonly cause bone and musculoskeletal injuries. These may result from the spine buckling inward toward the abdominal cavity and then extending.

Spinal Cord Injuries and Paralysis

The spinal cord is a vital part of the body’s nervous system, transmitting crucial messages from the brain to the rest of the central nervous system. If the spinal cord is sufficiently damaged, the consequences can be life-altering. A spinal cord injury (SCI) may result in partial or total paralysis and the loss of essential bodily functions.

There are four main types of spinal cord injuries:

  • Cervical SCI – The most severe spinal cord injuries occur in the cervical region of the spine. Trauma to the upper back and neck area near the top of the spinal cord, where the brain connects to the spinal cord. Cervical spinal cord injuries can cause paralysis in all four limbs, also known as quadriplegia.
  • Thoracic SCI – Thoracic spinal cord injuries occur in the main section of the spine that runs through the mid-back and abdomen. These injuries can lead to lower-body paralysis or paraplegia.
  • Lumbar SCI – Lumbar spinal cord injuries occur near the base of the spine and tend to affect the hips and legs. Victims of lumbar spinal cord injuries may need a wheelchair or leg braces.
  • Sacral SCI – Sacral spinal cord injuries occur near the base of the spine. Like lumbar SCIs, sacral injuries also affect the hips as well as the buttocks, pelvis, and thighs. Most victims of sacral spinal cord injuries can continue to walk.

Wrongful Death

Sadly, many truck accidents are fatal. If someone dies in a truck accident caused by another party’s negligence, the victim’s family can bring a wrongful death claim against the at-fault party. A wrongful death claim or lawsuit can compensate family members for funeral and burial expenses, medical costs incurred before the victim’s death, lost future income, and non-financial losses like loss of consortium.

Legal Help for Indianapolis Truck Accident Injury Victims

If you suffered injuries in an Indiana truck accident, you deserve justice for your losses. An Indianapolis truck accident lawyer at Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC can help pursue maximum compensation for your injuries by filing a personal injury claim against the negligent party.

Our skilled legal team will thoroughly investigate the truck accident, collect strong evidence to support your claim, determine all liable parties, and push aggressively for the full and fair amount of compensation you are owed.

With five offices across Indiana, our law firm is highly regarded by our clients and deeply involved in our community. We were listed as one of the 10 best law firms in the country by the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys, won the Litigator Award in 2014 and 2015, and have a 10.0 Superb Rating on Avvo.

Put our 20 years of legal experience and commitment to excellence to work for you. Call (800) 746-0226 or contact us online today for a free initial case review.