Common Albany Truck Accident Injuries

Albany is the state capital of New York, which means that it sees plenty of truck traffic. With everyone usually in a hurry while driving on the Albany roads and the bad weather six months out of the year, it is not unexpected to see truck accidents occur from time to time. The injuries that occur during motor vehicle accidents can range from minor to the very serious. It is important that motorists be able to recognize the more common Albany truck accident injuries to help understand the consequences of reckless driving.

Broken Bones

When you get in an Albany truck accident, it is very possible that you could come away with broken bones. Some broken limbs can be easily set into casts and healed over time. But the more serious broken bones need to be handled properly or the consequences could be dire.

Simple Fracture

A simple fracture is a bone that is broken in one spot, but the break goes all the way through the bone. In motor vehicle accidents, arms, wrists, and legs are the most common types of bones that are broken. Shoulders and hips are also prone to breaking in more intense situations, while thigh bones can break in very serious accidents.

In most cases, a broken thigh bone is not considered a simple fracture. It is important to tend to the broken thigh bone properly as any issues in caring for that sort of break could result in other medical complications.

Hairline Fracture

A hairline fracture can go across a bone horizontally or up a bone vertically. This sort of break is not complete and does not sever the bone into two pieces. With a hairline fracture, the interior of the bone is broken which can result in an extremely painful injury.

The most common spots for hairline fractures include the wrists, the ankles, the forearms, and the lower leg. Hairline fractures are sometimes set in casts.  However, in many cases they are put in soft casts and require a few weeks to heal.

Compound Fracture

A compound fracture is when an arm or leg breaks in several places. These types of injuries can be dangerous, and some can even result in death. A compound fracture of the thigh bone could become fatal if not properly treated.

Time is important when it comes to stabilizing and then setting a compound fracture. In most cases, plates and screws are used to stabilize a compound fracture and then the victim normally has to remain in hospital to see if their limb heals. In some cases, an improperly healing compound fracture could result in the loss of the limb.

Cuts, Punctures, And Lacerations

Albany truck accident injuries can include a variety of cuts and lacerations that have varying effects on the human body. Perhaps the most dangerous type of these injuries is a puncture wound that can remain unseen to anyone who is on-site trying to help the victims to get help.

Punctures

Punctures as the result of truck collisions can be extremely dangerous. A rib could be broken in the collision and then that piece of rib could puncture a lung. At this point, the victim has to deal with the intense pain of a broken rib and the severe discomfort of a punctured lung.

Any object could cause a puncture once it is launched into the air as a result of an Albany truck accident. Punctures can affect the lungs, eyes, throat, heart, and liver. If you notice an accident victim has a puncture, you should leave the object in place until emergency medical personnel arrive.

Cuts

Cuts are normally surface skin events that can cause bleeding, but offer very little other dangers. If a person comes away from an Albany truck accident with only some cuts and bruises, then they should consider themselves lucky.

However, even surface cuts to the neck or leg where the carotid arteries can be found could be fatal in a short period of time. The inner thigh and neck areas are sensitive to cuts, and any kind of skin break in those areas could result in bleeding that would be fatal in a very short period of time.

Lacerations

Lacerations are cuts that go several layers deep into the tissue and can sever very important arteries and blood vessels. These lacerations should only be attended to by trained emergency personnel as improper treatment of a laceration could lead to a potentially deadly infection.

Internal Bleeding And Damaged Organs

Earlier we discussed the difficulties created by punctured lungs and how important it is to get treatment for victims with punctured lungs immediately. Any accident could also result in internal bleeding and damage to other organs that is not easy to see, but can become deadly.

Internal Bleeding

A strong blow to the center of the body can result in a great deal of discomfort, and it can also create internal bleeding. When a blood vessel is damaged or an artery is torn from an impact, internal bleeding occurs. The danger with internal bleeding is that the victim could be bleeding internally but otherwise look perfectly fine. Another issue with internal bleeding is if it is not stopped, it will become fatal.

Damaged Organs

Lungs cannot only be punctured in an accident, but they can collapse as well. A collapsed lung makes the victim feel as though they are suffocating and significantly increases the sense of distress.

Other organs that could be damaged by the impact of a collision include the liver, kidneys, heart, and spleen. As with internal bleeding, there is usually no physical sign that an internal organ has been damaged. It is so important to allow emergency medical personnel immediate access to accident victims once they arrive.

Neck Injuries

Albany truck accident injuries can linger for years and cause chronic pain. If you arrive at the scene of an accident before emergency personnel, do not attempt to move any of the victims. You might be make any neck injuries worse.

Whiplash

When your head is jolted violently forward and then backwards, you will experience whiplash. This is a pain that runs around the base of your neck that can sometimes go away on its own. Serious whiplash cases can often be successfully treated with physical therapy.

Disc Damage

The soft pieces of tissue found between the vertebrae in your neck are called discs. In an accident, those discs could pop out from between your vertebrae and start pressing on your spinal column. This can cause intense pain and is usually referred to as bulging or herniated discs. In some cases, the pain and damage experienced with herniated discs will remain with the victim for the rest of their lives.

Any accident is a serious event that can have long-lasting consequences for all of those involved. If you witness an accident, you should call 911 immediately and then wait for the emergency medical technicians to arrive. You should never try to move anyone who has just been in a truck accident. You could worsen their injuries and even cause permanent damage.

If you have injuries as a result of an Albany truck accident, you will want a truck accident attorney who will fight for you. To schedule a consultation, call (844) 444-4444.