All trucking accidents can cause serous personal injuries. But sideswipe trucking accidents can cause serious spinal cord injuries which result in permanent and debilitating damage. This is due to the application of force being on a glancing or lateral movement. While motor vehicles are rated for head on, rear end, and side impact collisions, many are not rated for sideswipe crashes. These types of crashes can violently shake, twist, or rotate a motor vehicle and the passengers seat belted inside.
If you or a loved one have been injured in a New Mexico sideswipe trucking accident, call our experienced New Mexico trucking accident lawyers at the NM Truck Accident Attorneys by dialing (505) 883-5000 for a free consultation. Our knowledgeable and compassionate lawyers will work with you and your family to help obtain the compensation you deserve and may be entitled to.
A sideswipe trucking accident occurs when a large commercial truck like a big rig, tractor trailer, semi truck, or other box truck strikes the side of another motor vehicle and glances off. The collision is not perpendicular and crushing the side wall. Thus, it is not a penetrating-type collision. Generally the zone of impact is larger and longer along a car than other types of collisions, including a side impact collision.
But a sideswipe collision will violently shake a vehicle and redirect it. The force and momentum of a large commercial truck can push another vehicle off the roadway and into other vehicles, guardrails, or other hazards along the roadside. As a result, a sideswipe collision can cause secondary collisions which result in personal injuries in addition to just the truck impact.
The spinal cord is part of the central nervous system. It originates at the base of the brain and extends out the skull and down the vertebrae. These vertebrae form the spinal column. These are very hard bones which encase the very fragile spinal cord.
The purpose of the spinal cord is to send messages up and down the spine to the brain and from the peripheral nervous system. The peripheral nervous system are the nerves which extend out of the spinal cord and to the limbs. The nerves extend all the the way to the toes and fingers. When the spinal cord is injured, messages from the toes may not extend to the brain.
In severe spinal cord injuries, the spinal cord could be severed and not send any messages. This can result in serious paraplegia or quadriplegia. Because a New Mexico sideswipe trucking accident causes a twisting and shifting of the victim’s vehicle, the force of the impact can also cause twisting and shifting of vertebrae. This can make them impinge on the spinal cord in the middle of the vertebrae. When this occurs, it can result in the severing and permanent disability.
Here at the NM Truck Accident Attorneys, our lawyers focus on trucking accidents and our staff is trained to work on complex medical and trucking cases. We have the experience and knowledge necessary to prove liability and demonstrate your damages to a court in order to obtain the compensation you deserve for your injuries. Call us today to schedule a FREE consultation by dialing today (505) 883-5000 You can also contact us on our website through the easy to use and convenient Contact box located by clicking here.