Truck Accident Back Injuries
There are about 3.5 million truck drivers across the country, operating some 15 million trucks that are working in the U.S. every day. These trucks are involved in about 2.4 percent of all motor vehicle accidents, or about 500,000 crashes each year.
Thousands of people suffer serious back injuries after being involved in a motor vehicle accident. When those accidents involve big rigs and commercial trucks, the injuries sustained may be much worse. Back and spinal cord injuries are common in crashes and collisions, even when the accident occurred at low speeds.
Types of Back Injuries
Each of the three sections of the spine is surrounded by muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, and nerves. The cervical section refers to the neck, the thoracic section would be the upper spine/back, while the lumbar section refers to the lower back.
Injuries to the lumbar spine can be particularly debilitating to accident victims, as the lumbar spine is tasked with providing stability and strength to the spinal column. When the lumbar spine is jarred, jerked, and twisted, it can strain the muscles, tendons, and ligaments that surround the spine. Ligament strains are also common, and both types of injury can cause swelling and tenderness, limited movement, pain, and have a significant impact on your ability to function as you normally would.
The upper back is often injured when the force of impact causes your back to twist around the limitations of your seatbelt. Rollovers, high impact crashes, crush accidents, and side impacts are the most common types of accidents that cause thoracic injuries and may result in permanent nerve damage.
The spinal cord lies behind the protective spinal column and houses the bundle of nerves that carry electrical impulses from elsewhere in the body to the brain. When the spine is damaged in an accident, it may be the cord itself, or the damage may affect the nerves causing paralysis. If there is no feeling below the damaged area, the paralysis is considered complete. If there is some feeling and movement below the injury, the paralysis is incomplete. Paralysis not only affects the ability to move, but it may also affect your bladder, bowel, and respiratory functions as well as sexual ability.
If you were seriously hurt in an accident involving a large truck, contact us today to learn if you are eligible to seek compensation for your injuries and losses.