A review of five years of collision data gathered by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety in Georgia shows there is an average of 165 lives lost in truck accidents in our state every year. Georgia sees hundreds of accidents involving large trucks and commercial vehicles yearly and, while a handful result in fatal injury, many more result in serious or catastrophic injury.
Common truck accident injuries include:
- Traumatic Brain Injury. Consequences of TBI include cognitive-communicative difficulties like memory loss and lapses in judgment, emotional and psychosocial consequences including anxiety and an inability to control emotions, and myriad physical problems including vision loss and loss of motor coordination.
- Head and Neck Injury. Broken facial bones and concussion are common truck accident injuries. So is whiplash, a soft-tissue injury, and neck fracture, a type of spinal cord injury.
- Spinal Cord Injury. Depending both on the location and severity of the injury, SCI may result in paraplegia or quadriplegia, loss of bowel and bladder control, and sexual dysfunction. SCI may require adaptive technologies such as wheelchairs, home modifications, and 24/7 medical care.
- Back Injury. Soft tissue injury to the back can result in severe pain and physical limitations. Because muscle groupings can be difficult to release, back injuries are often chronic and limitations may be permanent.
- Broken or Fractured Bones. Fractured bones may never set appropriately, allowing these seemingly minor injuries to result in continuing difficulties. Depending on the location of the fracture, surgery, medical devices, and physical therapy may be necessary.
- Burns. While not as common as other truck accident injuries, burns often occur when collision is with a truck carrying flammable or hazardous chemicals. Burns can permanently disfigure, destroy muscle and bone, and require extensive treatment and therapy.
- Disfigurement. Glass and other debris may explode through the cabin of a car during a truck accident. These materials, along with impact to windshields, car seats, and even airbags can result in permanent disfigurement.
These and similar injuries sustained in truck accidents often require both emergency and ongoing medical treatment and may prevent victims from working or otherwise supporting themselves and their families. They may also be accompanied by emotional struggle, increased anxiety, and serious pain or discomfort.
WHAT TO DO AFTER A TRUCK ACCIDENT
When you are injured in a truck accident, it is important to contact an attorney as soon as possible. Liability in these cases is often more complex than it seems and may even involve people who were thousands of miles away at the time of collision. Without a full investigation into your truck accident, the proper parties may never be identified and you may be cheated out of fair and full compensation.
The Atlanta truck accident lawyers at Chance, Forlines, Carter & King have decades of experience and a proven record of holding truck drivers and the companies they work for accountable for the damages they cause. We know how to investigate truck accidents to identify all liable parties, and we are prepared to take viable claims as far as needed to fight for the compensation our clients are due.
If you need a truck accident attorney in Atlanta, Savannah, Columbus, Decatur, or a nearby area of Georgia, please call Chance, Forlines, Carter & King at 404-760-7400 to schedule a complimentary consultation and learn how we can help.