Being involved in any type of traffic accident can lead to serious injuries and psychological trauma, but these issues are typically greatly exacerbated when a large vehicle such as a semi-truck is involved. After all, the sheer size of these vehicles makes them much more dangerous during an accident, and this leads to a disproportionate amount of injuries and fatalities.
In fact, the Missouri Department of Transportation has indicated that a commercial vehicle was involved in 15.2 percent of all fatal traffic accidents that occurred within the state in 2011. Additionally, these vehicles were present in 9.2 percent of all traffic crashes, and this is a notable statistic when you consider the fact that they only make up approximately 3 percent of the vehicles on the road.
Recovering from an Accident with a Commercial Vehicle
In 2011, 3,479 people were injured in Missouri due to a crash that involved a commercial vehicle. The majority of these individuals required extensive medical assistance because it is practically impossible to walk away from one of these traffic incidents without sustaining serious injuries. Due to this, it is common for the victims of these accidents to need physical therapy, and many of them start the road to recovery in an emergency room. These problems are caused by the fact that semi-trucks typically weigh at least 80,000 pounds, and it is much more difficult for the driver to stop suddenly.
When a vehicle this large crashes into your car, it is highly likely to cause extensive damage even if it is traveling at an extremely slow speed. Therefore, it is typical for the people in the smaller vehicle to end up dealing with excruciating pain as a result of their injuries. Additionally, being injured in this way can make it traumatic to be near semi-trucks in the future, and this can have a major negative impact on your quality of life. In fact, victims of these incidents will often need to undergo mental and physical therapy in order to resume their normal day to day activities.
Utilizing an Experienced Truck Accident Lawyer to Deal with Medical Bills
On February 7, 2014, an accident occurred in St. Louis that involved an 18-wheeler. One person ended up at a local hospital, but they were fortunate enough to be released a few hours later without any serious injuries. Sadly, this is not typically the case, and the medical bills that could have been associated with this incident are exorbitantly high. Therefore, anyone who has been involved in a traffic accident with a commercial vehicle should seriously consider contacting an experienced truck accident attorney, such as Cofman Townsley, truck injury attorneys in the St. Louis area, for the aforementioned example, to help them take legal action against the responsible party.
After all, the expense of receiving medical treatment, physical therapy and undergoing counseling for trauma can quickly add up even if you have quality health insurance. For example, if the person in the previously mentioned St. Louis accident had not been so lucky, they could have ended up dealing with the recovery process for several months. These situations can lead to extensive wage losses, pain and suffering and medical expenses. Fortunately, you have the opportunity to file a lawsuit so that you do not need to absorb all of these expenses and losses.
Ultimately, dealing with this type of traffic incident can lead to many more complications than an accident with a standard sized vehicle, so it is imperative to take steps to protect your physical, mental and financial health. With this in mind, anyone who has been injured as the result of a collision with a commercial vehicle should contact a local lawyer immediately to learn more about their legal rights.
As a former medical professional Lisa Coleman shares the differences an accident with larger vehicles can bring to a victim in a wreck. The trauma following can be expensive and overwhelming. She recently viewed online how hiring experienced OTR accident attorneys such as Cofman Townsley can help with the financial recovery process from such a trauma.
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