Traumatic Brain Injuries After a Trucking Accident: Queens Trucking Accident Lawyers
TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES AFTER A TRUCKING ACCIDENT: QUEENS TRUCKING ACCIDENT LAWYERS
| Feb 21, 2020 | Truck Accidents |
TYPES OF TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES AFTER A TRUCKING ACCIDENT
Large commercial trucks like 18 wheelers and semi tractor-trailers could cause significant personal injuries in a crash. One of the most catastrophic personal injuries that an injured victim could sustain is a traumatic brain injury or TBI. According to the CDC, a traumatic brain injury is “a disruption in the normal function of the brain that can be caused by a bump, blow, jolt to the head, or penetrating head injury.” While any auto accident could cause in a TBI, traumatic brain injuries after a trucking accident are more common due to a big rig’s large size and heavy weight which generates explosive momentum. This makes fast-moving highways and interstates like I-295 or I-678 especially dangerous.
Our Queens trucking accident lawyers know just how devastating traumatic brain injuries after a trucking accident could be for a victim and his or her family. Under New York law, individuals harmed by the negligence of a truck driver or trucking company may be entitled to “damages.” In a personal injury action, “damages” are the measure of relief that a party may obtain. This relief is usually pecuniary in nature. This means that victims may be entitled to compensation for pain and suffering, medical bills, lost wages, lost future earnings, loss of consortium, and other injuries related to the trucking crash. Traumatic brain injuries after a trucking accident could result in all of these types of damages and more.
TYPES OF TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES AFTER A TRUCKING ACCIDENT
Many different types of traumatic brain injuries could be caused after an 18 wheeler wreck or big rig crash. Even a mild TBI could result in permanent and disabling conditions for a victim. This is because there really is no such thing as a “mild” type of brain injury. Damage to the brain is often irreversible and may result in permanent disability. Since brain injuries do not heal like a broken bone or torn muscle, it is important to understand each type of brain injury and what symptoms or disabilities it could cause.
Some of the most common types of traumatic brain injuries after a trucking accident include the following:
Diffuse Axonal TBIs – this type of TBI is caused by the extreme decelerating in a motor vehicle accident which can sheer or tear brain tissue. The damage caused to the brain with a diffuse axonal TBI leads to the disconnection of neural pathways which causes malfunctions in the brain. This means that a victim may have trouble performing basic tasks, difficulty with memory, trouble with language, and develop other processing or cognitive functioning limitations.
Coup-contrecoup TBIs – the brain is suspended in fluid within the skull. This is cerebral spinal fluid that serves several important functions, including hydrating the brain and protecting it from impacts. In a violent collision such as a rear-end trucking crash, the whiplash of the impact could send the brain sliding to the opposite side of the brain (contrecoup) and then whipping backward to the point of impact (coup). This can result in damage to two opposite sides of the brain. This is dangerous because the brain could start to uncontrollable swell which could result in permanent brain damage. Coup-contrecoup TBIs are immediate medical emergencies that could result in wrongful death.
Penetrating TBIs – if the skull is fractured due to the force of impact or a piece of debris, the brain could suffer direct damage from a foreign object. This is more common in trucking accidents due to the destructive power of these impacts.
Concussions – while most people may think of concussions from sports like football or hockey, a concussion from a trucking accident can be very different and significantly more dangerous. This is because the shockwave to the brain from an 18 wheeler could permanently damage brain tissue by causing lesions or areas of irreparably harmed tissue. All concussions require multiple medical appointments to evaluate and review.
Brain Bleeds – any victim who has a brain bleed must be immediately treated. This type of TBI is a medical emergency because the bleeding within the skull could raise intracranial pressure to the point where brain tissue is suffocated or compressed.
ASK OUR QUEENS TRUCKING ACCIDENT LAWYERS FOR HELP WITH ANY TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY CASE
When traumatic brain injuries after a trucking accident in New York disrupt your life, ask our Queens trucking accident lawyers to help. We offer a FREE consultation to evaluate your case. If we accept your case, we will investigate your claim on a contingency basis. This means that we only get paid if we recover a settlement or award in your case. To do this, we will need to establish liability during New York vehicle and traffic law, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations, and other applicable decisional law to prove your case. Learn more about how we can help protect your rights to compensation by calling (718) 275-7779 for a free case evaluation or use our convenient and easy-to-use contact us box available here.
