There are about three million commercial trucks on the roadways of the United States at this juncture in time, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Thousands of these big rigs are involved in accidents each year, many in collisions with passenger automobiles.
The reality is that a collision between a semi-truck and a passenger car can have truly devastating consequences, and nearly always for the individuals in the automobile. Fatality rates associated with commercial truck accidents are high. In addition, many individuals involved in automobile collisions with semi-trucks end up facing permanent disabilities.
If you have been involved in an accident with a big rig, and fear you have sustained a permanent injury or disability, there are some basic facts you need to appreciate. In addition, you need have a basic understanding of your legal rights in the aftermath of a commercial truck accident.
A commercial truck accident injury lawyer from The Doan Law Firm can answer any questions you may have in regard to your accident. In addition, an attorney from our firm can provide essential information about obtaining justice if you have sustained a permanent injury in a commercial truck accident. Our firm maintains a commercial truck accident injury hotline at (800) 349-0000 that is staffed around the clock.
Common Types of Disabilities Following a Commercial Truck Accident
A wide range of different types of permanent disabilities stem from commercial truck accidents. With that said, there are some types of permanent injuries that more commonly are associated with big rig accidents.
Traumatic brain injury of one type of permanent injury that arises from a collision with a commercial truck. Although there are traumatic brain injuries from which a person recovers, there are others that have truly life-altering consequences.
A traumatic brain injury caused by a commercial truck accident can impair permanently a person's cognitive functions. This type of injury can damage a person's brain in a way that impairs the proper functioning of that individual's body.
Spinal cord injury represents another type of permanent injury that arises from big rig collisions. This type of severe injury can result in permanent paralysis, among other dire consequences.
Lost and permanently damaged limbs represent other major types of lasting, debilitating injuries that stem from a commercial truck accident. In addition, the victim of a commercial truck accident might suffer some sort of permanent disfigurement.
Physical injuries are not the only types of permanent injuries that can arise from a commercial truck accident. A collision with a big rig can result in a person suffering long-lasting if not permanent, mental health issues. For example, a commercial truck accident oftentimes results in a person suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. In some cases, a person does recover from PTSD, and other types of mental health conditions arising from a commercial truck accident. However, in many other cases, the impact last for an extended period of time, and even a lifetime.
Compensation for a Commercial Truck Accident Permanent Disability
Potential compensation if you sustain a permanent disability from a commercial truck accident depends upon the nature and extent for the damage. A skilled commercial truck accident injury attorney from The Doan Law Firm will fight to obtain justice for you in your case, which includes striving tirelessly to obtain appropriate compensation. With that noted, examples of the types of compensation to which you may be entitled if you sustained an accident with a commercial truck include:
- medical bills and expenses
- pain and suffering
- mental anguish and emotional distress
- permanent disability
- lack of income
A commercial truck accident lawyer from our firm will fight not only to obtain compensation for your losses to date but also to obtain compensation for losses you reasonably can be expected to face in the future. In addition, our firm may also be able to seek punitive damages for you in a lawsuit.