When you’re driving next to large trucks, you may feel concerned. You are right to be wary, because a collision with one of these vehicles could leave you with serious injuries.
Head and neck injuries can be catastrophic for a victim, so it’s important that you seek out immediate medical care if you’ve been involved in a collision. You could have a brain injury, whiplash, a slipped disk, fractures or other injuries that put your life at risk or that could lead to serious disability without treatment.
Common injuries to the head and neck in auto collisions
There are some common injuries that happen in truck crashes. One of the first injuries most people see is whiplash, which is caused by the force of the collision causing the head to whip forward and back quickly. This has the potential to cause damage to the spine and spinal cord. It also damages the muscles and tendons around the neck and that attach the head and neck to the rest of the body.
Facet joint injuries cause severe pain and make cause the spine to be unstable. Those with this injury may have neck stiffness and be unable to move their head and neck as much as they’d like.
Neck fractures are possible due to direct impacts and intense force. Since this causes extreme pain, you should know immediately if you have a fracture. Stay where you are, and don’t move until help arrives.
Along with some neck injuries, it’s possible that you could have a brain injury. A diffuse-axonal injury is possible when whiplash has occurred because the brain may impact the skull in multiple places or may twist and tear within the skull. In any case, this requires immediate treatment. Some patients may be placed into medically induced comas to prevent further damage to the brain due to swelling.
All of these injuries are more likely to occur in crashes at high speeds or those involving two vehicles of different sizes and weights. So, if you are hit by a large truck, make sure to call 911 and to wait for help. You may have serious injuries that need attention.
