Common NYC Truck Accident Injuries

New York City is one of the busiest financial hubs in the world. It would stand to reason that with so many products going in and out of New York City that there are going to be truck accidents occurring. The density of truck traffic and the unpredictability of New York weather come together to regularly create the most common injuries associated with accidents.

Non-Fatal Injuries

Non-fatal injuries are the ones that are not immediately fatal and have very little chance of becoming fatal. While these injuries are not life-threatening, they can still be extremely painful and have life-long physical effects.

Broken Arm Or Leg

A broken arm or leg can hurt a great deal, but it is rare that there are any complications from a broken limb. When you drive, your arms are in a position to absorb some of the impact from a head-on collision and that can break your arm at any point. Your arms can also be exposed to danger if there is a impact to the driver side of your vehicle.

Your legs are also in prime positions to be broken from almost any type of New York City truck accident impact. A break in the bone below the knee can be painful, but in most cases it can be treated with a cast and several weeks of rest. A broken femur will require immediate surgery and could become life-threatening if the carotid artery in that area was severed.

Dislocated Or Broken Joints

The sudden impact of a New York City truck accident can have lasting effects on your knees, elbows, and shoulder. Dislocated elbows and knees can be extremely uncomfortable and could possibly even cause you to pass out. Once the joint has been put back into place, a few months of physical therapy should offer a full recovery. A dislocated shoulder can be handled in this way as well, but some shoulders never fully recover from dislocation and leave a painful reminder for the rest of your life.

It is unusual to have a broken elbow or knee. In most cases, these situations are referred to as severely dislocated. It is actually possible that you could lose your arm or leg if it is not repaired properly. Your shoulder has an actual bone that can break, which makes a broken shoulder possible and extremely painful.

Cuts, Abrasions, And Lacerations

Cuts, abrasions, and lacerations are common in motor vehicle accidents. They can be classified as potentially fatal or non-fatal injuries. Surface cuts become an inconvenience at best when compared to the injuries you could sustain, and surface abrasions are painful reminders of your accident for weeks to come. But when you start talking about lacerations and deeper cuts, then the potential for a fatal injury exists.

A New York City truck accident scene is usually a pretty dirty place with vehicle fluids, road debris, and other items floating around. Even a surface cut offers the potential for a possibly fatal infection if some of those substances find their way into your body. Lacerations are very deep cuts that go past the surface skin and into the flesh. If any of these wounds are not properly attended to, then the very real possibility of infection exists.

Burns

There does not need to be an open flame at a New York City truck accident for there to be the possibility of burns on the victims. Many parts of a vehicle’s engine and exhaust are extremely hot while the vehicle is moving. If an accident occurs, one of those hot parts could be jarred loose and cause serious burns on any of the victims.

In the case of open flames, emergency response personnel must always be aware of the possibility of leaking fuel. If one or both of the vehicles involved in the truck accident is leaking fuel and there is an open flame or even a spark between two live wires, then an explosion could occur that could be fatal.

Potentially Fatal Or Life-Altering Injuries

It needs to be understood that these injuries present the greatest potential for death or long-term medical problems. As with accident related injury, proper emergency medical care can often prevent these injuries from becoming too serious.

Compound Fractures

When a leg or arm is broken in many places, that is called a compound fracture. While a compound fracture is not likely to cause death, if the limb does not start to heal properly or it gets infected then it has to be amputated. Even if a limb does respond to stabilization, it may not ever function properly again and could generate chronic pain.

Spinal Injuries

The two most common spinal injuries in a New York City accident are broken vertebrae and herniated discs. The prognosis for recovery from each of these conditions depends a lot on what happens at accident scene. If someone with a broken vertebra is moved by a person with no medical experience, then that broken vertebra could sever the spinal cord.

Injuries to the spine are often difficult to repair. When a nerve is damaged, it cannot heal or grow back. A herniated disc occurs when the soft material between two vertebrae is jolted out of its position and into the spinal column. If there is a significant amount of pressure on any of the nerves in the spinal column, those nerves will die. If this happens, the victim may lose use of those facilities for the rest of their life.

Internal Bleeding

Perhaps the most difficult New York City truck accident injury to identify is internal bleeding. When the human body sustains a significant impact, it is possible that internal organs can tear at arteries. When this occurs, substantial bleeding can occur inside the body. This is almost impossible to detect by looking at the victim.

Detecting internal bleeding requires scans done at a hospital by a qualified technician. Until the doctors can identify the source of the internal bleeding, there is nothing they can do to stop it. If the internal bleeding is significant enough, the victim could die at the accident site.

Traumatic Brain Injury

If you’re involved in an accident, your life could be changed in an instant if you receive a traumatic brain injury (TBI). A TBI occurs in when you hit your head on the steering wheel, windshield, or dashboard of the vehicle. It can also occur if an air born object strikes you on the skull.

A TBI, in any form, is going to change your life in some way. While a TBI can be fatal, many people go through therapy and live productive, healthy, and happy lives.

Injured from a Truck Accident? Call William Mattar.

A New York City truck accident can be a catastrophic event. If you witness an accident, you should call emergency personnel immediately. Stay at a safe distance to prevent yourself from being the next accident victim.

William Mattar has a legal team that can handle your New York City truck accident injury claim. The sooner you call, the better. One our of truck accident lawyers can be reached at any time, daily, by calling 844-444-4444.

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