When you’re involved in a truck accident in Ohio, the injuries tend to be more catastrophic just because of the nature of the accident and the heaviness of the truck. Understanding what types of truck accident injuries in Ohio commonly occur can help you prepare for your recovery if you’ve been involved in an accident and ensure you get the legal representation you need.
The Most Common Ohio Truck Accident Injury Types We See
In our experience handling truck accident cases across Ohio, we consistently see certain types of injuries that are unfortunately all too common.
Broken bones are frequent, but they’re often just the beginning. We regularly handle cases involving herniated discs, which can cause long-term pain and mobility issues.
More serious injuries include mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). These brain injuries can be particularly difficult because the effects aren’t always immediately visible, but they can drastically impact a person’s quality of life.
The most severe cases we handle involve paraplegia, quadriplegia, and dismemberments–loss of arms or legs. These life-changing injuries require extensive medical care and have profound impacts not just on the injured person, but on their entire family.
Why Truck Accident Injuries Are More Severe
Truck accident injuries in Ohio can be devastating because of the sheer size of the truck, the potential for multiple vehicles to be involved, and reckless driving that is continuing to increase because logistics carriers can’t find qualified drivers. The size and weight difference between a commercial truck and a passenger vehicle means that when accidents occur, the injuries are often catastrophic.
The Financial Reality of Catastrophic Injuries
Here’s something many people don’t realize: the more severe and life-changing the injury is, the more potential there is for compensation. A broken bone is going to be very different from a missing limb in terms of both impact on your life and potential settlement value.
However, the problem then becomes having to find enough insurance or company value to pay for those injuries. The truck driver has to have at least $750,000 in coverage, but that’s not enough when you have a catastrophic injury. That’s when you need an experienced attorney who has handled cases like these before to assist you through the process.
Why an Ohio Semi-Truck Accident Personal Injury Lawyer is Essential for Serious Injuries
When you’re dealing with catastrophic injuries, you need to understand that the value of the case isn’t just the pain and suffering of the injured person. It’s really the lifelong suffering of each family member who has to compensate for the injured person or who has to live without that person.
For example, if a parent is severely injured or killed, their five-year-old child has 75 years of suffering ahead. Their 10-year-old has 65 years of suffering. Parents have 40 years each of suffering. An experienced Ohio truck accident injury attorney knows how to build that case. That’s why contacting an experienced attorney should be one of your first steps after being in an accident.
Proving Lifelong Injuries in Truck Accidents
To prove a lifetime injury, you need three things: the doctor confirming the injury, the client voicing how it impacts their quality of life, and the diagnostic tests showing it. Without all three, you’re not going to be able to prove your case effectively.
For instance, if you have ongoing pain from an injury that didn’t heal properly, you need:
- The doctor stating they can see range of motion problems or other objective findings
- Your own testimony about the pain you experience
- X-rays or other diagnostics showing the injury didn’t heal correctly
When you have all three and they’re legitimate, insurance companies understand the strength of your case.
Getting Medical Attention Immediately
When you get in an accident, especially if you have a severe injury, you want to make sure you get medical attention before anything else. But beyond immediate care, it’s crucial to hire an experienced attorney quickly so they can send a spoliation letter to the insurance company, requiring them to preserve evidence after the accident. If they don’t preserve evidence, there’s a presumption that the evidence would have been in your favor.
Choosing the Right Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer in Ohio
The person who hires a lawyer needs to make sure that lawyer is financially stable enough to finance the case. On these catastrophic injury cases, you could be looking at four or five different experts–life care planners, psychiatrists, economists. If the case is going to court, you’re looking at about $20,000 per expert. You could be spending $50,000 to $100,000 out of pocket, and some law firms can’t afford that.
You can determine if an attorney can handle these costs by looking at what kind of cases they’ve handled, what kind of jury verdicts and settlements they’ve achieved, and asking directly: “What’s the most you’ve ever put out on a case?”
Remember, you don’t want a general practice attorney handling your truck accident case. It’s like having a foot surgeon do brain surgery–you want an Ohio semi-truck accident lawyer with extensive experience in truck accidents who understands federal regulations and knows how to build these complex cases.
Get the Experienced Legal Team Your Ohio Truck Accident Injury Case Demands
Truck accidents often result in catastrophic injuries that can change your life forever. These cases require experienced legal representation that understands both the medical and legal complexities involved. If you’ve been injured in a truck accident in Ohio, don’t wait–contact an experienced Ohio semi-truck accident lawyer who has the resources and knowledge to fight for the compensation you deserve. Contact Chester Law Group today.