Commercial truck drivers spend thousands of hours behind the wheel every year. During over-the-road trips, truckers may develop repetitive stress or other driving-related injuries. Regrettably, truck drivers are also vulnerable to traumatic injuries when picking up and dropping off loads.
Crush injuries are often catastrophic, as they can disrupt muscles at the cellular level. Likewise, a crush injury may leave a trucker with extensive nerve damage or even paralysis. When crushing injuries happen to long-haul truckers, one of three situations is often the culprit.
1. Pallet instability
Truck drivers tend to haul heavy loads, with most goods riding on pallets. If a pallet tips or fails, goods may topple onto the driver. Dislodged items do not have to remain on a driver for long to cause life-altering injuries. In fact, a driver’s life may never be the same again after spending even a second under fallen objects.
2. Trailer encroachment
From time to time, drivers must connect and disconnect the trailers they pull. While rare, it is possible for a trailer to roll forward or backward. Because a trailer may weigh tens of thousands of pounds, a trucker is vulnerable to serious injuries when caught between a truck and a trailer.
3. Jack collapse
Truck drivers must exercise extreme caution when working with jacks. After all, if a jack collapses or shifts during truck maintenance or repairs, the full weight of the vehicle may land on the driver. Regrettably, a pinned driver may have to stay that way until emergency responders are able to lift and move the truck.
Ultimately, regardless of how a crushing accident occurs, injured drivers are often eligible for workers’ compensation benefits.
