What Is the Number One Injury for Truck Drivers?

Driving a truck can be a taxing job. Truck drivers spend a lot of time in the same spot with very little movement, which is a recipe for all sorts of injuries. They also have the risk of an accident, which could result in significant injuries. A Charlotte truck accident attorney may be helpful in those situations. However, it’s important to realize that most injuries a truck driver faces will have nothing to do with an accident.

Common Truck Driver Injuries

Driving a truck can be a physically taxing process. It may not seem like it at first because the job does involve so much sitting. However, the human body was designed for movement, and we’ve learned that sitting for extended periods can create different forms of compression and pain within the body.

For drivers who help in loading and unloading, health issues can often become exponentially worse. Rather than consistently mild to challenging movement, these drivers go back and forth from long sedentary periods to extreme physical exertion. It’s no wonder that many drivers develop a number of injuries, often chronic, as the years wear on.

Some of these injuries include:

• Musculoskeletal Injuries. These injuries generally involve the back and torso of the body. They include strains of muscles and connective tissue, as well as general pain in the middle area of the body. Prolonged sitting leads to the back becoming compressed and growing stiff.
• Knee and Leg Injuries. The legs of a truck driver spend long periods of time in a particular position and get little to no movement because of the need to drive and work the pedals. The risk of an injury is also increased by the strain of getting in and out of the truck.
• Neck and Shoulder Pain. As with the other parts of the body, a truck driver’s neck and shoulders rarely get enough movement and will often begin to develop soreness and pain from the compression involved.
• Keeping weight off can be incredibly challenging in a job that involves little time and space for proper exercise, as well as getting access to healthy food. This can increase the likelihood of obesity and some of the related health issues that come from that.
• Sleep Issues. Because the job can often involve long hours and irregular schedules, it’s not uncommon for drivers to develop a variety of sleep issues. This, too, can cause further health issues, given the vital role that sleep often plays.

FAQs

Q: Is Trucking Hard on the Body?

A: Trucking can be very hard on the body despite what some people’s first impressions may be. Certainly, seating and amenities in cabs have improved over the years, making the job a little more comfortable and, in some cases, improving the ergonomics of the job. However, none of that can really fundamentally alter what the job is.

The human body, like all animals, benefits from regular movement. It realigns the body and prevents tissue from hardening and becoming rigid. Regularly getting to the edges of someone’s range of motion is what keeps their motion from becoming too limited. In the case of driving a truck, there are many consecutive long hours that prevent drivers from getting the movement that they need, leading to soft tissue hardening that can cause injuries.

It’s not just the sitting that is hard on the body. There are many awkward movements involved with trucking, such as getting in a cab or helping with loading and unloading, that can often exacerbate the situation.

Q: What Are the Three Most Common Types of Collisions Involving Heavy Trucks?

A: Trucks can get in a number of accidents similar to a car and a few more that are exclusive to the shape of the trailer. However, accidents involving a truck are often significantly more damaging than those involving a car.

Some of the more common forms of accidents are:

• Head-On Collisions. When a vehicle drifts from its lane into oncoming traffic, the result can be a head-on collision. Because it involves both cars traveling roughly the same speed toward each other, the damage can often be significant. In most of these cases, it is the fault of the driver who left their lane.
• Rear-End Collisions. When a driver fails to leave enough room to stop or fails to pay attention to the traffic ahead of them, they could run into the rear end of the car in front of them. In almost every case, it is the driver who impacts the car in front who is at fault.
• These are scary accidents where the trailer and cab end up almost perpendicular to each other and often end in the trailer tipping over. Most of these accidents are caused by excessive speed in slippery conditions.

Q: How Common Are Trucking Accidents?

A: Trucking accidents are not any more common than other accidents. A case could be made that they are actually less common than standard car accidents. Most trucks stick to highways and locations fairly close to highway exits, which leads to driving that is less prone to accidents at intersections and around other traffic. It also has the benefit of professional drivers’ involvement as well.

Q: How Can You Avoid Truck Driving Injuries?

A: Although it can be difficult, one of the better ways to avoid injuries when driving a truck is to make time for regular movement and exercise. This could be through regular breaks that involve full body movement but also some full movement at the end of the day’s driving.

Injuries on the Road Deserve Proper Compensation

When injuries involving a truck happen, whether from a driver sitting in one spot for too long or as the result of an accident, it’s important that the costs of those injuries are properly compensated. However, that process can often be more complex and challenging than we might hope. It is invaluable to have the support of a Charlotte truck accident attorney.

The team at Ayers, Whitlow & Dressler can help you get compensation for your injuries. Contact us to discuss your injuries and what your options might be.