Large commercial trucks have the potential to inflict catastrophic injuries if they collide with another vehicle on the road. Hopefully, you will never experience an accident with an 18 wheeler truck, but if it should happen, you might wonder what to do if you come out of the wreck with someone who has possibly suffered a neck or spinal injury.
You may think you are helping your friend or loved one by getting them out of the vehicle. According to the Mayo Clinic, moving someone with a spinal cord injury could be dangerous to that person’s health and even life.
Possible injury caused by movement
Someone who has suffered a spinal cord or neck injury could risk paralysis if moved. This is because movement may damage the spinal cord further, such as causing a damaged vertebrate to cut into the spinal cord. Shifting the body may also damage nerves or blood vessels that are in a fragile state.
If you call for emergency help, medical responders will come to the scene and stabilize the victim with a neck brace and strap the person into a gurney to keep the person still and avoid further injury. The emergency team may take other measures to safely transport the victim into an ambulance and then to a hospital.
Signs of a spinal or head injury
If you are not certain whether your friend or relative has suffered a head or spinal cord injury in an auto accident, some signs may be indicators. You may have observed your passenger hitting his or her head in the impact. The injured person may complain of extreme pain in the back or neck, or of an inability to move an arm or a leg. You might also note that your passenger’s neck or body has become positioned in a strange manner.
The minutes and hours following a truck accident can be crucial. Even if your passenger avoids lifelong disability, the medical bills will probably be high and recovery may take a long time. The expenses of treating serious injuries may become important if you seek damages.