When a large commercial truck weighing tens of thousands of pounds1 crashes into a smaller vehicle carrying motorists, the damage and injuries that result can be severe. Motorists in regular passenger vehicles have little protection from a large truck that is 30 times the size of the car and they often sustain serious, life-threatening injuries.
There is a group of people who have even less protection should a truck accident occur – pedestrians. Pedestrians do not have any type of metal frame around them or safety equipment such as seatbelts or airbags. If they cannot get out of the way of a truck coming at them, pedestrians are utterly defenseless and will feel the full effects of a direct impact.
It is not hard to imagine the type of damage that an 80,000 loaded truck can do to the delicate human body. Some common injuries sustained by pedestrians in truck collisions include:
Spinal cord injury – A spinal cord injury2 can eliminate all movement and sensory abilities below the site of the trauma, which can result in paralysis and loss of bodily functions.
Traumatic brain injury – Severe TBIs can cause long-term coma and, even if a patient wakes up, they will likely have long-lasting physical and cognitive impairments.
Shattered or crushed limbs – The bones in your arms, legs, pelvis, and other areas of the body can shatter upon a significant impact, requiring extensive reparative surgeries or perhaps amputation.
Many of the above injuries are so severe in truck-pedestrian accidents that they can cause permanent disability, permanent disfigurement, or often death.
If a negligent truck driver hits a pedestrian, the injured victim or a family that suffered a wrongful death has the right to file a legal claim against the driver and, often, the truck company that employs the driver.
Call Your PENNSYLVANIA Trucking Lawyers for a Free Consultation
The highly experienced trucking attorneys at McEwen & Kestner, PLLC help all types of truck accident victims, including motorists and pedestrians. If you have been injured or have lost a loved one in a truck accident, call us at 800-732-3070 for help today.
