In 97 percent of crashes involving commercial trucks and passenger vehicles, it’s the occupants of the smaller vehicles who incur fatal injuries. Even when the victims survive, they can suffer catastrophic injuries. Below are a few of the most common injuries that drivers in West Virginia should know about.

Spinal cord injuries are all too common because the impact of the crash can cause the vertebrae to become dislodged, fractured or compressed. The nerves in the spinal cord may suffer permanent damage, creating either temporary or permanent paralysis. Bones, especially the skull and the leg, arm and hip bones, can be cracked or shattered in truck crashes when the victims hit the airbag, steering wheel or windows.

Traumatic brain injuries, another frequent result of truck crashes, can lead to inflammation of the brain and death. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that 153 Americans die every day from TBIs. One major problem with TBI diagnoses is that symptoms may take days or weeks to appear.

Post-traumatic stress disorder is one example of the kind of mental trauma that crash victims can suffer from. Symptoms include nightmares about, and flashbacks to, the crash. Victims may also suffer from severe anxiety that interferes with daily activities. Lastly, victims could suffer from cuts and puncture wounds, which often leave behind scars.

Before filing a claim against a negligent truck driver, accident victims may want to hire a lawyer. Lawyers might bring in medical experts to determine the extent of the injuries that resulted from the crash, including emotional and mental trauma. They may also have experts reconstruct the accident and find proof that the trucker was negligent. Lawyers may be able to negotiate on their clients’ behalf for an informal settlement, litigating if the trucking company refuses to pay out.