Brain Injuries From Truck Accidents

Brain Injuries From Truck Accidents

Trucks are heavy. They’re big. They are difficult to maneuver, even under the best weather and traffic conditions. When a truck is involved in an accident, it can do quite a bit of damage.

While truck drivers can and do get hurt, it’s often other crash victims who suffer the most serious injuries.

Brain injuries are an incredibly common consequence of truck accidents in Texas.

If you or a loved one have sustained a traumatic brain injury in a crash in Fort Worth, you could be entitled to compensation. Contact our law office to find out how a Fort Worth truck accident lawyer at Stephens Law Personal Injury | Wrongful Death | Truck Accidents might be able to help you fight to secure the money you deserve. Your initial case assessment is free, so call (817) 420-7000 today to learn more.

What is a Traumatic Brain Injury? 

brain disease

A traumatic brain injury refers to an injury to the head that results in some disruption to normal brain function. In other words, a TBI can be defined to include any injury to the head that causes you to lose consciousness, impairs your cognitive abilities, or interferes with your ability to function in any way.

There are two mechanisms for causing a TBI. The first is by suffering a penetrating head injury. This means that the skull, which normally protects the brain, is compromised in some way. If you’re involved in a truck accident, you could suffer a penetrating head injury as a result of:

  • Projectiles piercing your skull and causing physical damage to the organ
  • Blunt force trauma fracturing your skull, forcing shards and fragments inward toward the brain, or
  • Hitting your head on a sharp, jagged, or protruding object during the collision.

You can also sustain a TBI if you suffer a closed head injury. This means that the brain is injured, despite the skull remaining intact. This could be the result of blunt force trauma, which forces the brain to shake rapidly inside of the skull, making contact with the hard bone. Alternatively, this could be the result of exposure to toxic chemicals or fumes, causing your brain to be poisoned or asphyxiated from inside.

Individuals involved in a truck accident could sustain a closed head injury as a result of:

  • Hitting their head on the steering wheel, dashboard, or another part of the vehicle
  • The sudden impact of a collision with a truck causing their head to move back and forth rapidly, or
  • A rollover car accident, in which their head hits the roof or pavement.

Since collisions involving large trucks tend to be so violent, brain injuries are quite common.

Brain Injuries Are a Common Truck Accident Injury

Trucks log millions of miles on Texas roads every year. That includes highways, interstates, and streets in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. However, trucks, big rigs, and tractor-trailers don’t always make it to their destinations unscathed. Large commercial trucks are involved in accidents in Texas every day.

In 2018, there were tens of thousands of truck accidents in the state. At least 14,011 of these large truck accidents resulted in an injury. Research shows that 80 percent of motor vehicle crash victims suffer an injury to the head or chest. So, based on that figure, more than 11,200 people could have sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a Texas truck accident in 2018.

That’s more than 30 truck accident-related brain injuries every single day.

When you suffer an injury to the brain in a Fort Worth truck accident, life can change forever. If someone else is at least partly responsible, you can be entitled to compensation. There’s too much at stake to trust your case to just any personal injury lawyer in Fort Worth.

Stephens Law Personal Injury | Wrongful Death | Truck Accidents only handles personal injury cases. Jason Stephens prioritizes cases where clients have suffered extremely traumatic injuries in crashes involving large trucks. He is prepared to pursue compensation for any and all of your truck accident-related brain injuries and complications, including:

Skull Fractures: Skull fractures can be simple (no damage to skin or tissue), compound (bone exposed), or depressed (crushing inward toward the brain). Any of these can be dangerous and pose a serious threat to your brain.

Herniation: When the brain is injured or bounces around inside the skull, the body might generate an inflammatory response. This can cause the brain to swell. Swelling can force brain tissue out of place – or herniate – and compress against the skull.

Hematoma: A hematoma refers to the clotting of blood outside of the blood vessels. When this occurs inside of the brain, it can cause the organ to swell, ultimately putting pressure on the brain and causing extensive damage.

Hemorrhage: A hemorrhage refers to internal bleeding. This can occur inside of the brain (intracerebral hemorrhage) or around the brain (subarachnoid hemorrhage). A collection of blood can cause swelling, put pressure on the brain, and lead to severe injury.

Diffuse Axonal Injury: This refers to trauma that causes the nerve fibers in the brain to tear, which typically happens as a result of a closed head injury. The nerve fibers become damaged when the brain shifts and moves around in the skull. Since this injury doesn’t typically involve bleeding, it can be difficult to diagnose.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of a Brain Injury After a Truck Accident?

Brain injuries can manifest with different symptoms, depending on the type of trauma you’ve sustained. However, signs to be on the lookout for include:

  • Headache
  • Blurred vision
  • Difficulty speaking or communicating
  • Limited mobility
  • Tingling in the extremities
  • Unusual changes in mood or behavior
  • Vomiting
  • Nausea
  • Balance and coordination problems
  • Seizures
  • Memory problems, and
  • Loss of consciousness.

A brain injury can have significant short-term and long-term repercussions, even if it’s just a mild brain injury. That’s why it’s critical to seek medical attention if you have been involved in a truck accident in Fort Worth. Go to the doctor, even if you think that your injuries are minor or insignificant. Prompt attention, diagnosis, and treatment can be the difference between life, permanent disability, and death.

How Are Brain Injuries Diagnosed After a Truck Accident?

There are several different ways to have a brain injury diagnosed following a blow to the head in a truck accident in Fort Worth. Common techniques include:

Glasgow Coma Scale: A physician measures and rates your ability to function in three areas. They’ll check your ability to speak, your ability to open your eyes, and your range of motion. The lower your score, the more severe your TBI.

Language and Speech Evaluations: A pathologist or physician might ask you to complete a formal speech evaluation to determine if your ability to speak or communicate has been impaired. 

Cognitive Tests: Cognitive tests assess your ability to think, solve problems, remember information, and process things. An impairment or difficulty could indicate a brain injury.

Diagnostic Imaging Tests: Diagnostic imaging tests can help doctors visually see and identify brain injuries. Commonly used tests include computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and intracranial pressure monitoring (ICP).

Damages Might Be Available If You’ve Sustained a Brain Injury in a Fort Worth, TX Truck Crash

Brain injuries can fundamentally change life as you know it. It’s not uncommon for severe TBIs to cost victims hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of their lives. Families can experience catastrophic financial repercussions when a family member suffers a fatal brain injury in a car accident involving a truck. Fortunately, compensation might be available. If someone else is even remotely responsible for causing your truck accident and brain injury, Stephens Law Personal Injury | Wrongful Death | Truck Accidents will work day and night to hold them accountable.

You could be entitled to compensation for:

  • Hospitalization
  • Surgery
  • Medication
  • Diagnostic tests
  • Medical devices
  • Medical equipment, including wheelchairs and stairlifts
  • Modifications to your home or car
  • Lost wages and income
  • Disability
  • Loss of enjoyment of life
  • Pain and suffering
  • Emotional distress, and more.

Jason Stephens is an experienced truck accident attorney who knows how important a financial recovery can be. So, he’ll do everything he can to secure a substantial award on your behalf. He’ll use whatever resources and manpower are necessary. That includes consulting with experts to make sure that he can build the strongest possible case on your behalf.

Call a Brain Injury Law Firm in Fort Worth After Your Truck Accident 

Have you or a loved one recently suffered a brain injury in a truck accident near Fort Worth, TX? You could be entitled to compensation from a truck driver, trucking company, the insurance company, or negligent third party. Contact Stephens Law Personal Injury | Wrongful Death | Truck Accidents to discuss your legal rights and options.

A Fort Worth personal injury attorney is here to help you navigate this difficult time. Let Jason Stephens put his more than 25 years of experience to work for you. Your first consultation is free, so don’t hesitate to call the law offices to schedule yours today.

Stephens Law Personal Injury | Wrongful Death | Truck Accidents
1300 S University Dr # 300
Fort Worth, TX 76107
(817) 420-7000