Yes, a truck accident can cause a brain injury. Trucks are heavy vehicles even when they are not carrying a load. The force of a collision with a truck can leave you with catastrophic injuries, which can include a traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Types of Truck Accidents That Can Cause TBI
Any kind of impact (side, front, rear) can cause brain injury, but these three types of collisions are common sources of TBI:
A truck rear-ends your car. You slow down or stop, but the truck behind you does not and slams into the back of your car. Depending on the speed and weight of the truck and several other factors, you could sustain a brain injury ranging from a simple concussion to disabling, permanent brain damage. For example, the force of the impact sends your head forward and then back very quickly. That motion caused your brain to slam against the skull.
Your car runs into the back of a truck. If you cannot stop your car in time, you might strike a truck from behind. The vehicle speed will be one factor that determines the extent of your injuries. For example, when you hit the truck, your head hit the steering wheel. The impact caused a TBI.
Consequences of a TBI
Every case is different, but people with brain injuries often experience problems like these, which can be short-term or linger for the rest of the person’s lifetime:
- Communication problems, which can include difficulty understanding what other people are saying and formulating appropriate responses to engage in a conversation. A TBI can also make a person unable to speak, read, or write. These communication issues can lead to social challenges, when a person cannot participate in conversations or understand body language and other nonverbal communication.
- Intellectual challenges, such as attention, learning, and problem-solving. Memory and cognitive impairment are common results of a TBI.
- Emotional disruption frequently follows a TBI. In many cases, the emotional impact is temporary, but some patients suffer from symptoms for years. Examples include mood swings, anger, depression, and insomnia. People close to the injured person sometimes report that the patient’s personality changed so much that they seem like a different person after the crash.
- Cranial nerve damage often accompanies a head injury. The cranial nerves control many of our senses. After cranial nerve damage, a person can experience double vision, difficulty swallowing, and facial paralysis. Patients can also lose their sight, hearing, and sense of smell.
- Seizures are common with TBI, often happening within days of the crash. Sometimes the seizures go away on their own, but for others, they become post-traumatic epilepsy.
Our Team Can Help You Recover Compensation for Your TBI
If you or a loved one suffered a brain injury in a truck accident, you can turn to the Montero Law Center. Our truck accident lawyers help people who sustain harm at the hands of others. To get your free consultation, call us today at 954-767-6500.