How Long Does It Take To Recover From Getting Hit By A Truck?- Call us 24/7
According to recent reports by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT), over half a million truck accidents happen every year in the U.S. Since trucks are huge and weigh a lot more than average vehicles, injuries sustained in truck accidents are usually severe, and victims take a long time to recover.
Getting hit by a truck will leave you with both physical and emotional wounds that require expensive treatment and therapy. The whole ordeal gets even more stressful when the financial burden falls on you, and you aren’t liable for the accident.
Life After a Truck Accident
After getting involved in a truck accident, many victims are eager to recover and get back to normal lives. However, after getting hit by a truck, the healing process doesn’t have a shortcut.
You must accept the fact that once you’ve sustained injuries in a truck accident, full recovery will take some time and care. Depending on various factors, your injuries may take weeks or even months to heal.
What Injuries Can You Sustain After Getting Hit by a Truck?
There are various injuries you may suffer from in a truck accident. Some may be minor injuries, others may require surgery, while others may be chronic. These injuries include:
Typical Injuries
Common injuries, such as lacerations, headaches, broken bones, concussions, and contusions, usually require 2-3 weeks to heal. However, these injuries must be evaluated by a health provider immediately after the accidents so that they don’t worsen.
The recovery time for these injuries doesn’t exactly mean that you can’t go to work or carry out your normal daily activities immediately afterward. However, it means that you must be cautious with everything you do until you’ve fully recovered.
Injuries That Require Surgery
Sometimes, truck accidents result in injuries that require surgery and more time to heal. These injuries include:
- Herniated discs
- Whiplash
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Spinal cord injuries
- Internal injuries
- Skull fractures
- Broken ligaments
Some of these injuries need surgery to alleviate the pain, while others require cosmetic surgery to restore the victim’s initial appearance. On average, it takes approximately 6-8 weeks to heal from these injuries.
Chronic Injuries
Sometimes surgery is not enough to heal a victim’s injuries after getting hit by a truck. If a victim experiences long-term injury symptoms, the damage becomes chronic.
The most common chronic injuries you may sustain in a truck accident include:
- Loss of limbs
- Disc displacement
- Loss of sight
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Neck injuries
Unfortunately, chronic pain never goes away, and the victim must live with it. Whether you’re suffering from a minor injury, chronic injury, or an injury that requires surgery, you don’t have to bear the financial burden alone. If the damage is due to someone else’s negligence, you’re entitled to receive full monetary compensation.
How Can You Improve Your Recovery Process?
While there isn’t exactly a definitive answer on how long your recovery process should take after getting hit by a truck, there are some tips you can follow that will put you on the right track. These tips include:
Seek Medical Attention Immediately
Even if you’re not experiencing any pain after getting hit by a truck, it’s always advisable that you seek medical attention immediately. Sometimes it may take hours or even days for some injuries or symptoms to appear. Therefore, the longer you put off the idea of seeing a doctor, the higher the risk that your injuries will worsen.
Follow the Treatment Recommendations
If you’ve sustained injuries from a truck accident, you must follow through with the treatment plan and recommendations that the doctor provides. While you may feel overwhelmed with the treatment plan, you should discuss your concerns with the doctor instead of disregarding their medical advice.
If the doctor asks you to take some time off from work or participate in physical therapy, follow this advice for the best results.
Get Enough Rest
Getting enough rest and sleep can improve your recovery process. Every time you sleep or rest, there is an increased blood floor in your tissues and muscles, facilitating repair and growth. It’s also worth noting that your stress hormone levels usually drop when you’re asleep. This can reduce the chances of internal inflammation happening.
Eat a Balanced Diet and Exercise
During your recovery process, you must ensure that you eat whole foods rich in vitamins and protein to help repair your tissues. It would help if you also tried regularly eating since your body needs more energy to function properly. Healthcare professionals also recommend that you exercise regularly to regain flexibility and balance.