Large commercial trucks are a crucial part of the Virginia economy, but they can also cause devastating collisions when they aren’t loaded or driven properly. When a heavy truck or tractor-trailer collides with a pedestrian or another vehicle, injuries are often severe and come with lifelong repercussions. If you suffer any of these types of injuries after a truck crash, you should work with an attorney to hold the negligent party responsible and protect your legal rights.
Injuries You May Suffer in a Virginia Truck Crash
Whether driving at an accelerated speed on the highway or passing more slowly through Richmond streets, negligent behavior puts delivery trucks at risk of jackknifing, rolling over, or simply colliding with another vehicle. In these types of crashes, victims may suffer injuries to areas of the body like:
- Back injuries. Spinal cord injuries may result in nerve damage and constant muscle pain or stiffness, or in more serious cases cause permanent paralysis.
- Hands, wrists, legs, and feet injuries. Amputations are possible in truck crashes, but injuries to the extremities could also include broken bones, lacerations, or soft tissue injuries like ligament tears that have lingering effects on mobility.
- Head injuries. The force of a truck collision may cause facial disfigurement, skull fractures, concussions, and extremely serious traumatic brain injuries with long-term cognitive and behavioral symptoms.
- Internal injuries. Cracked ribs as well as serious and potentially deadly damage to organs or internal bleeding are of particular concern when dealing with truck crashes, which is why you should always seek medical attention after an accident.
Because these all-too-common injuries tend to be more serious after a truck crash than a normal car collision, victims may be unable to return to work and could spend a significant amount of time in recovery. Costs for hospital stays, surgeries, and rehabilitative therapies also tend to be higher with cargo truck crashes. After a truck accident caused by negligence, you have a legal right to seek damages that cover:
- Your previous hospital bills and potential future medical costs if you need surgery or therapy later
- The non-economic impacts of your injuries if you suffer severe emotional distress or loss of quality of life
- Wages lost while recovering, as well as the loss of earning potential when debilitating injuries force you to change your line of work
- Property damage to your vehicle
Why You Need an Attorney After a Truck Accident Injury
Receiving a settlement or pursuing compensation through a court case requires determining exactly why the truck accident happened, as well as who was specifically at fault. An experienced lawyer who has handled cases involving commercial trucks in the past is critical to a positive outcome.
Cases involving commercial trucks tend to be more complicated because the root cause may not be as immediately apparent as with a normal car crash. For example, if someone was driving home drunk and collides with your vehicle on the street, then the cause is fairly clear. There’s no question that the drunk driver failed to uphold their basic duty of care and should be held responsible for your injuries.
When dealing with a big rig or tractor-trailer, however, the negligence resulting in your injury may have come from someone other than the driver. The crash may have occurred due to improperly loaded cargo causing the truck to roll over, a faulty or improperly repaired part malfunctioning, or negligent hiring or training practices from the trucking company.
Preventing evidence from being erased or destroyed before it can be collected is also crucial in a truck injury case, as black box data, employment records, load information, and so on are often needed to prove negligence.
Talk to a Professional With Experience in Truck Accident Cases
If you or someone you love was hurt in a truck accident, you need an experienced personal injury attorney to thoroughly investigate the crash. Call us today to set up a consultation. We want to know about your injury and find out if The Mottley Law Firm is the right fit for your case.
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