Trucking Accident Steering Wheel Injuries
Have you been injured in a trucking accident? While a regular car accident can result in devastating and life-threatening injuries or even death, an accident involving a truck is often even more serious. Trucking accidents can cause serious damage and injury due to the size of commercial trucks. If you have been involved in a truck accident, consider seeking the help of a truck accident attorney who regularly handles truck accident cases. That way, you can rest assured that you are represented by legal counsel who knows how to handle your case to ensure that you receive proper compensation. By calling an experienced truck accident attorney, you can receive help with your case so you do not have to deal with struggling to obtain fair compensation while also trying to recover from your injuries. A local firm serving clients in Oregon and Washington, Schauermann Thayer truck accident attorneys, has over 35 years of experience helping clients in similar cases. You can contact out office by calling (360) 695-4244.
What Is the Most Common Steering Wheel Injury?
There are numerous types of injuries that can occur after a trucking accident depending on the nature of the incident, but some types of injuries are more prevalent than others in these cases. Steering wheel injuries are some of the most common injuries resulting from a trucking accident. The nature of the accident and the movement of the driver can result in various types of steering wheel injuries. The most common steering wheel injury tends to be facial trauma since the driver’s face is so close to the steering wheel and impact from the accident can easily throw them forward.
Other common steering wheel injuries include:
- Retinal detachment
- Cervical spine fractures
- Rib fractures
- Orbital fractures
- Friction burns and abrasions
The type of steering wheel injury that a driver suffers from tends to depend on the type of accident.
What Type of Injury Does a Bent Steering Wheel Indicate?
After an accident, you may be able to tell what type of injury a person suffered based on the state of the steering wheel. Generally, if a steering wheel is bent after an accident that indicates that the driver likely suffered from a thoracic injury.
A thoracic injury, or chest injury, generally indicates that the driver hit the steering wheel before the airbag inflated. Using clues such as the state of the steering wheel paired with the injuries suffered by the driver, an experienced personal injury attorney is better able to understand the injury and medical component of your case.
What Happens if Your Head Hits the Steering Wheel?
While a bent steering wheel may indicate a chest or abdominal injury, when a driver’s head hits the steering wheel it generally results in a concussion, contusion, or skull fracture. For background, a concussion results when the brain hits the skull on impact. A contusion refers to bruising to the brain itself. When the impact is much stronger, a skull fracture is more likely to occur. A driver may also suffer from a traumatic brain injury as a result of an accident. Overall, it is best to get checked out by a medical professional as soon as possible after an accident, because some of the symptoms of brain injuries may not be immediately apparent at the scene of the crash.
Injuries resulting from a steering wheel in a trucking accident can be severe. Getting medical care is important to both recovering properly from the injury and gathering evidence that can help prove the origin of the injury at trial or during settlement discussions.
How Far Must the Driver Sit From the Steering Wheel To Avoid or Minimize Injury?
Injuries resulting from trucking accidents are common, but there are things you can do to minimize your risk of serious injury from the steering wheel. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, by sitting at least 10 inches away from the steering wheel, sitting up straight, and moving the seat back as far as possible, you can minimize your risk of serious injury.
Washington and Oregon Truck Accident Lawyers
The Washington State Department of Transportation recorded 6,280 trucking accidents in 2022 alone. Federal and state laws require that trucking companies keep their fleet well-maintained to prevent injury to the public. Working with an experienced truck accident attorney in Washington or Oregon after you have been involved in a trucking accident can help you to ensure that your case is properly handled under those laws. For a consultation, call Schauermann Thayer at (360) 695-4244.
