Around 24.5% of traumatic brain injury hospitalizations in the United States are caused by motor vehicle accidents, with truck accidents causing the most severe outcomes. In a recent study, it was found that 97.8% of severe TBIs resulted from blunt trauma mechanisms found in truck collisions, with a 13.8% mortality rate for severe TBIs. A truck accident that causes brain lacerations or intracranial hemorrhages can pose a life-threatening emergency requiring immediate neurosurgical intervention. At The Law Offices of Sean M. Cleary, we represent those who have suffered catastrophic brain injuries as a result of tractor-trailer accidents, pursuing compensation for their medical costs and disabilities for the rest of their lives.
Why Truck Accidents Cause Severe Brain Lacerations
The force generated when a passenger vehicle collides with an 80,000-pound tractor-trailer subjects occupants to violent deceleration that causes the brain to strike the inside of the skull. This blunt trauma mechanism can produce brain lacerations, contusions, and intracranial bleeding that markedly increase hospital stays, complication risk, and treatment costs. Motor vehicle crashes remain among the most common causes of traumatic brain injury hospitalizations, according to CDC surveillance data, with approximately 214,110 TBI-related hospitalizations occurring annually. Truck drivers who fail to maintain adequate brakes or violate federal safety regulations typically cause high-energy collisions resulting in severe brain injuries.
The Devastating Medical and Economic Consequences of Severe TBI
It is common for survivors of severe traumatic brain injury to suffer from long-term disabilities, including cognitive impairment, memory loss, personality changes, motor dysfunction, and seizure disorders. According to peer-reviewed studies, severe TBI cohorts have mortality rates between 13% and 29%, with survivors facing medical costs of hundreds of thousands to more than $1 million over their lifetimes. A national estimate shows that nonfatal TBI medical costs and work loss total more than $40 billion each year.
In hospitalized moderate to severe TBI cases, the average medical costs in the first year exceed $50,000. It should be noted that these figures do not include ongoing rehabilitation, specialized equipment, home modifications, and the loss of earning capacity as a result of injury.
Liability for Brain Injuries in Truck Accidents
When truck accidents result in brain lacerations or severe TBI, victims can sue the trucking companies and truck drivers under vicarious liability theories, as well as for negligence in hiring, training, supervision, or maintaining the truck. In cases where federal safety violations lead to brain injuries, the regulatory breaches provide strong evidence of negligence. FMCSA crash data demonstrates that brake problems were coded as a contributing vehicle factor in roughly 29% of large trucks involved in serious crashes.
Maximizing Compensation Recovery with The Law Offices of Sean M. Cleary
Victims of catastrophic brain injuries may recover economic damages for medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, lost wages, and diminished earning capacity, plus non-economic damages for pain, suffering, and permanent impairment. Due to the high lifetime costs associated with severe TBI, thorough documentation of current and future medical needs is necessary to secure adequate compensation.
To demonstrate the full extent of damages caused by truck-accident brain injuries, The Law Offices of Sean M. Cleary works with neurologists, neurosurgeons, and life care planners. For a free consultation if you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury in a tractor-trailer accident, contact our Miami office.