Drivers in New Jersey have a good reason to be a little anxious around large trucks. Truck accidents often end in fatalities, and 97 percent of those fatalities are the occupants of passenger vehicles. When these accidents don’t end in fatalities, they usually leave victims with long-term physical and mental conditions to deal with.
The impact of a large truck can send the body against the window, steering wheel or airbag, breaking bones in the legs and arms. The skull and the hip are frequently injured, and victims may require multiple surgeries before they fully recover.
Another serious condition is injury to the spinal cord. The vertebrae in particular can be compressed, fractured or crushed in the accident, and the nerves could become so damaged as to paralyze the victim either temporarily or permanently. When victims receive a traumatic brain injury, they could suffer concussions and, with it, multiple misdiagnoses. This is because the symptoms of a brain injury may take weeks to appear.
In addition to these physical injuries, victims could suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Up to 9 percent of all auto accident survivors develop it according to the National Centers for PTSD. The condition is characterized by flashbacks, nightmares and continual anxiety that interferes with day-to-day activities.
Victims of truck accidents may be eligible for compensation to cover medical expenses, vehicle repair costs, emotional trauma and more. A lawyer might hire experts to gather the police report, work log and maintenance records, among other documents, in the effort to prove the truck driver’s negligence. For instance, the trucker may have been exceeding the hours of service and so became drowsy at the wheel. The lawyer may be able to negotiate for a settlement with the trucking company.
