Can Truck Accidents Cause Brain Damage?

Any type of accident involving the force of a massive truck can lead to brain damage for those involved. Although there are varying levels of brain damage, some of the most serious injuries can lead to significant impairment and reduction in quality of life. In the worst cases, brain damage can be fatal.

If a truck driver or trucking company’s negligence is behind your or your family member’s injuries, legal help is available. Our team could represent you in a claim or lawsuit against the liable parties to recover compensation for the harm you suffered.

How Brain Damage Occurs in a Truck Crash

While brain damage can occur in many types of traffic accidents, a truck’s involvement generally increases the risk of such harm—especially when it comes to commercial vehicles, such as semi-trucks and tow trucks.

These are much larger and heavier than sedans or other small vehicles, meaning they increase the amount of force involved in a collision. This idea applies even more to truck accidents involving motorcycles or pedestrians. When the truck accident victim is a pedestrian or bicyclist, they could face more severe injuries, as they have little to no protection from the collision.

Additionally, commercial trucks often carry heavy or hazardous cargo. Even if a collision with the truck doesn’t occur, cargo could come loose or spill onto the road, creating other possible dangers that could cause injuries, like brain damage.

Understanding Traumatic Brain Injuries

A driver or passenger in a car could suffer from multiple types of brain trauma in a crash where a truck driver is at fault. For example, a traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the most severe brain injuries someone can suffer. It usually involves a significant blow to the head, causing internal bleeding or skull fracture.

In the most serious TBI cases, the victim may have permanent neurological damage, which can lead to:

• Ongoing pain
• An inability to speak normally
• An inability to perform personal care functions
• Weakness in the limbs

Sometimes, a TBI can lead to a coma, paralysis, or death. It isn’t easy to recover fully from a significant TBI.

Brain Injuries Can Involve Internal Bleeding and Swelling

After a severe blow to the head in a truck crash, the brain colliding with the skull could lead to bruising of the brain tissue and damage to the blood vessels. These can then cause bleeding within the skill or swelling of the brain, both of which increase the pressure within the skull.

This increased pressure creates the conditions for seizures, strokes, and long-term brain damage. As the pressure on the brain increases, the victim may eventually lose consciousness and fall into a coma.

Penetrating Brain Injury

Also known as an open head injury, a penetrating brain injury is a type of TBI that involves fracturing of the skull. While it does not involve pressure building inside the skull, it can still damage brain tissues and blood vessels.

Depending on the area of the brain that the injury affects, victims can experience a wide range of symptoms and side effects, and the damage can be permanent.

Concussion

A concussion is a mild form of TBI. It can still be potentially life-threatening for the victim, as some side effects may never alleviate. However, the victim has a better chance of recovering in the future with a concussion than with a more severe TBI.

According to New York-Presbyterian Hospital, some symptoms of a concussion can linger for weeks and months after a truck accident. Examples include:

• Balance problems
• Difficulty thinking
• Difficulty focusing
• Inability to remember new information
• Mild or severe headaches
• Heightened sensitivity to noise and light
• Nausea
• Excessive tiredness

You Could Recover Compensation for Your or a Loved One’s Brain Injuries

When a negligent truck driver, trucking company, or other party is responsible for a collision, the law allows victims to hold them accountable. Based on the circumstances, you could file an insurance claim or civil lawsuit against the liable parties to seek compensation for:

• Emergency treatment at the scene and transportation to the hospital
• X-rays and other diagnostic examinations
• Surgeries
• Pain medications and treatments
• The hospital stay, as well as follow-up appointments with doctors and specialists
• Vehicle damage
• Loss of income during and after recovery
• Diminished earning ability for permanent or long-term injuries
• Pain and suffering

These are not the only damages potentially recoverable. Our firm can discuss the accident, injuries, and possible compensation with you today for free.

Our Lawyers Can Represent You in a Truck Accident Case

At Morelli Law Firm, our team understands what is at stake when brain damage occurs. It can affect the victim’s finances, livelihood, relationships, and even result in their death. We want to be here for you in this stressful time and help you navigate the legal process.

Our truck accident lawyers will work hard to present the facts in the case and advocate for your financial recovery. Let us hold the liable parties accountable on your behalf. Contact our team today at (212) 751-9800 for a free consultation.