Common Injuries in Truck Accidents in New Jersey

truck driver behind the wheel

The conscientious attorneys at Nagel Rice LLP have been defending the rights of New Jersey truck accident victims for over 30 years. Beyond our well-earned reputation for successful litigation, our team is known for providing caring, efficient, personalized service. If you have recently been through the trauma of a truck accident, you should be aware that our extensive experience, far from hardening us to your pain, has made us more acutely aware of the challenges you face and more determined to recover the damages you need to move forward from your injuries. 

When cars and trucks collide, the injuries of the driver and passengers of the car are far more likely to suffer severe injuries since the truck typically weighs 20 to 30 times as much as the car. While truck accidents are not as common as car accidents, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), truck crash injuries account for 8 percent of all fatal crashes and 3 percent of all auto injuries in the U.S.

How Truck Accident Injuries Occur

Because trucks are not only large, but cumbersome, and may be loaded with imperfectly balanced cargo, they are considerably harder for drivers to navigate than cars. Add to that the fact that tractor-trailers have more than one section to maneuver on curves or when turning, and the increased risk becomes clear.

There are several types of truck accidents that cause severe, catastrophic or fatal accidents, including jackknifes, rollovers, and rear-end collisions. Depending on the type of truck accident you have been involved in, harm may have come to you in any of the following ways:

  • Hitting the windshield or another part of your vehicle
  • Being hit by a flying object (e.g. broken glass or other debris)
  • Being pinned by the truck as it impacts your car (even being trapped in your car under the truck)
  • Being harmed by your airbag or seatbelt
  • Being thrown from your vehicle 

Types of Injuries

Any type of serious truck accident injury is traumatic and requires extensive downtime. In many cases, you may suffer residual damage or even permanent disability, even after a long recovery period. Contact Nagel Rice so that we can start working to obtain compensation for:

Cuts and Lacerations, the former caused by incisions and the latter by blunt force trauma,

may result from flying debris, impact with a part of the car (or even with another occupant of the car), or being thrown out of the vehicle. Though cuts and lacerations may sound minor, they can be life-threatening if, for example, they occur at an artery.

Bone Fractures can occur in any bone in the body. Unless the bone is very small (like a toe bone), it will have to be casted or otherwise immobilized. Bones take time to heal, especially if the break is compound or otherwise complex and/or if surgery has been necessary.

Soft Tissue Damage is common in truck accidents. Such injuries include damage to muscles, tendons, and ligaments, as well as internal bleeding, and damage to, or loss of, organs.

Amputations of a limb or appendage may occur at the time of the accident, may become medically necessary later due to severe infection and gangrene. 

Crush Injuries occur when excessive pressure is put on the victim, usually because he or she is caught between two hard surfaces. At the least, such injuries cause bleeding or bruising, but may also result in bone crushes that are very challenging to repair or serious damage to muscles, nerves, and blood vessels that may be fatal.

Whiplash occurs when the victim’s head and neck snap backward and then forward, straining or spraining head and neck muscles. The injury is painful and greatly restricts the range of motion in the area. Though whiplash often heals with physical therapy and other treatment, it may result in ongoing chronic pain and limited mobility.

Burns can result from any traffic accident but are more common when a collision involves a tanker truck with flammable cargo. Victims can be severely burned by fire, explosion, or from steam or hot water escaping from a ruptured radiator. Third-degree burns can be catastrophic. They are not only excruciatingly painful but may result in permanent scarring and disfigurement.

Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) can cause a broad spectrum of symptoms, depending on which part of the brain is damaged. Victims may suffer:

  • Headaches
  • Sensory impairment (e.g. loss of vision or hearing)
  • Memory loss
  • Nausea, loss of balance, dizziness
  • Cognitive impairment
  • Psychiatric symptoms (e.g. anxiety, mood disorders)

Those who suffer TBIs may remain permanently unable to work or may require full-time nursing care.

Spinal Cord Injuries that occur from a truck accident may require surgical repair and ongoing physical and occupational therapy. If the spinal cord has been torn, paralysis may result. Depending on the area of the spine affected, the patient may lose all feeling and mobility below the waist or from the neck down. Paralysis will be more or less incapacitating and may affect the ability to lead a normal life, as well as the ability to work at gainful employment.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Being in a truck accident can result in a variety of psychiatric symptoms, even if there has been no physical injury to the brain. Victims may develop anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, an exaggerated startle response, sensitivity to light and loud noises, and even suicidal thoughts.

Though medications and psychotherapy may be helpful, PTSD may be an ongoing problem.

Wrongful Death occurs at a higher than average rate in truck accidents. If you have lost a loved one in this terrible way, Nagel Rice attorneys will help you collect damages to pay for final medical expenses, funeral costs, and loss of financial and emotional support.

Contact Our Experienced Truck Accident Attorneys Today for Your Injuries

Nagel Rice fully understands the tremendous toll the truck accident has taken on you and your loved ones. We are committed to fighting aggressively to hold the responsible party accountable for your suffering. We will study the facts of your case carefully and develop a strategy designed to get you the damages to replace your lost income, cover your past and ongoing medical costs, and give you the resources you need to restart your life with security and comfort. 

Nagel Rice LLP helps their clients with their common injuries from truck accident claims throughout New Jersey including Bergen County, Essex County, Middlesex County, Monmouth County, Morris County, Passaic County, and Sussex County.