Your Jeep Compass doesn’t stand a chance in a crash with an oil tanker. Not even an F-150 can stand up to the damage Permian Basin trucks and equipment haulers cause in a collision. If these vehicles can be destroyed in a crash, imagine what happens to the occupants. If drivers and passengers manage to survive, they often sustain what we call catastrophic injuries in legal jargon. That means they are very, very badly hurt—often even permanently disabled.
At Keller & Keller in Albuquerque, we are keeping an eye on the increasing traffic and frequent crashes that are happening along 285 in Eddy and Lea Counties, and we are prepared to represent victims of crashes with Permian Basin vehicles. If you suffered catastrophic injuries or a loved one was killed in a crash with an oil field vehicle, do not hesitate to contact us to find out how we can help.
5 Catastrophic Injuries Cause by Permian Basin Truck Crashes
A collision between a passenger car—even if it’s a full-size SUV or pick-up—and a tractor-trailer, dump truck, sand hauler, or fuel tanker is devastating for the occupants of the smaller vehicle. These cars can be crushed from the rear, front, side, or even the top if it flips and rolls. Regardless of airbags and other safety features, the occupants are likely to suffer injuries such as the following:
- Traumatic brain injuries. The brain can be injured in a crash even when the head is not hit directly. Any kind of rapid back-and-forth motion, such as what happens in a collision, can damage the brain. A TBI can cause loss of motor control, compromised cognitive abilities, and personality changes. Treatment, recovery, and long-term care for a brain injury can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
- Spinal cord injuries. Whether from extreme whiplash in the neck or from an impact to the mid or lower spine, a spinal cord injury can result in partial or complete paralysis from the point of injury down. This kind of injury requires immediate emergency treatment and ongoing therapy and care.
- Internal organ damage. Ruptures, bruising, or lacerations of internal organs such as the kidney, liver, or lungs require quick diagnosis and treatment. Internal bleeding caused by organ damage is extremely dangerous and could be fatal. In a high-impact crash, the seat belt can cause internal organ injuries, as can the impact of being crushed or thrown from the vehicle.
- Severe bone fractures. When bones are crushed in a vehicle crash, the injury could become life-threatening. Broken ribs can puncture a lung, and compound fractures can break through the skin and cause massive blood loss. Repairing certain types of fractures requires surgery to implant plates, rods, and screws, and some victims never regain full use of the limb. Sometimes, a fracture is so severe that the limb has to be amputated.
- Permanent disability. All of these types of injuries can lead to a permanent disability or chronic condition that requires life-long care. Paralysis, amputation, loss of brain function, loss of an organ, reduced functional capacity, and other forms of disability are possible after a crash with a commercial vehicle.
Any one of these injuries also has the potential to ultimately be fatal. In fact, after a crash between a passenger vehicle and an oil field rig, it is truly a miracle if the occupants of the car manage to survive.
