If a truck hits your car and you suffer a knee or back injury that requires surgery, you probably want to know what to do next. After you seek immediate medical attention, the next thing to do is contact a skilled truck accident lawyer. Truck crash cases are complicated, and the truck company’s insurance provider will work aggressively to minimize their client’s liability.
Common Knee Injuries in Truck Accidents
Knee injuries are common in traffic accidents; approximately 10% of all traffic accident injuries are to the knee. These injuries can be severe in tractor-trailer accidents because of the size and weight of these vehicles. The most common injuries to the knee are the following:
Knee Strains and Sprains
These are the most common knee injuries in truck crashes. These injuries can cause a lot of pain even if nothing–no cartilage or ligament–is torn. Doctors usually prescribe rest, ice, compression, and exercise. However, just because you have no further treatment for this injury does not mean you cannot be compensated for your pain and suffering.
Torn Ligaments
The knee has four major ligaments: the anterior cruciate, posterior cruciate, medial collateral, and lateral collateral. These tough ligaments connect your tibia to the femur. Ligament tears are judged on a 1-3 scale. Grade 3 is the worst and is a complete tear.
Surgery could be needed to repair one of these ligaments, depending on the severity of the injury. If you need surgery, your personal injury lawyer will ask for a larger settlement; surgery always increases the case value in a personal injury claim.
Torn Meniscus
The knee has two connective tissue discs that absorb shock. The meniscus can tear in a tractor-trailer accident if the knee is twisted.
Fractured Kneecap
If the kneecap (patella) slams into the dashboard in a crash, it can fracture or even shatter. This injury is excruciating, and surgery is often needed, as well as months of rehab.
Common Back Injuries in Truck Accidents
Many truck accident victims suffer back injuries that may require surgery. Remember that a fully-loaded commercial truck weighs up to 80,000 lbs, approximately 25 times what a typical passenger vehicle weighs.
The violence of a truck crash can lead to severe back injuries, including the following:
Spinal Fracture or Dislocation
A fracture can happen when part of the vertebrae receives an intense blow, leading to a fracture, break, or shattering. This injury can damage discs and nerves and could cause paralysis. A dislocation happens when the ligaments around the vertebrae are stretched, and the bone slips from position. A dislocation also can cause nerve damage.
Herniated or Bulging Discs
The tremendous accident force can damage your spinal discs that cushion the vertebrae from each other. If the disc shifts, it is a bulging disc. If it tears, it is herniated. Both injuries can require complicated surgery that leads to weeks of downtime. Your attorney will add it to his calculations if that happens to you as he negotiates a settlement.
Spinal Cord Injury
The truck accident may cause spinal cord damage, leading to permanent paralysis. In this worst-case scenario, the value of the case can skyrocket.
In summary, any knee or back injury in a truck crash may require surgery if it is severe enough. Get treatment from a medical professional as soon as possible after a truck accident. Your doctor must thoroughly document your injuries before the trucker’s insurance company tries to claim your injury is unrelated to the accident.
Then, talk to a personal injury lawyer immediately.
The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.
