Injuries from a semi-truck accident can be devastating. A semi-truck is designed to carry heavy loads, and the force of an impact with another vehicle or object can cause serious injury. To make matters worse, truck drivers don't always have adequate training in defensive driving techniques, which means that they may not react fast enough if someone cuts them off or changes lanes.
Types of injuries from a semi-truck accident
Physical Injuries
Physical injuries are the most obvious. A truck accident can result in broken bones or lacerations that require medical attention. The more serious injuries may be internal, like damage to the brain or spinal cord.
Emotional Trauma
While many semi-truck accidents result in physical wounds that can heal with time, there's also a chance that you'll suffer from emotional trauma as well. Truck driving is stressful work and truck drivers are often away from home for long periods. Commercial truck drivers may not be able to spend as much time with their families and loved ones as they would like, and this can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation. If your injuries prevent you from working or completing everyday tasks at home, you'll likely feel stressed out by the loss in income and fear about how you're going to manage financially if your recovery period is extensive. You might also experience anxiety about when or even whether it will be safe for you to return to work again once you've recovered enough physically - especially if there was a possibility that the semi-truck driver caused the accident through negligence (like texting while driving).
If you've been injured in an accident with a semi-truck, the first thing to do is seek medical attention. Your injuries will be better managed if they are treated early on. Regardless of your situation, it's important not to miss any doctor appointments so that your doctors can monitor how you're healing and decide on a treatment plan that will help you recover. If your injuries are severe, it may be necessary to visit the hospital for an extended period or undergo surgery.
Aggravation By Insurance Agents
Your injuries and emotional trauma may be compounded by the stress of navigating insurance claims. Insurance companies often try to deny your claim if they believe that there is even a small chance you were partially at fault in the accident, which means it's important to know what happened immediately after the accident occurred so that you can accurately describe everything when filing for benefits or negotiating with an insurance company representative.
What should I do after a semi-truck accident?
Make sure that everyone involved in the crash is okay; if anyone has been injured or killed call 911 immediately! Next head straight for an emergency room--if there are any visible injuries treat them as quickly as possible and seek medical attention before they worsen (and remember: don't worry about how much it costs at this point).
Even minor injuries can worsen over time so get help as soon as possible when you think someone might have been injured by impact with a truck or object during the crash.
If you've been involved in a semi-truck accident we recommend you let us take over while you focus on recovering from your injury. We'll deal with all of the insurance companies so that no one tries to screw around with your settlement. Impact Legal focuses on helping people who have been injured by large commercial vehicles like semis.
Don't delay, reach out today for a free consultation, and let us start working on your case immediately! Call Impact Legal Car Accident Attorneys at 602-345-1818 today.