7 Common Truck Accident Injuries in Florida

Gregg Hollander | September 8, 2026 | Truck Accidents

A serious truck crash can alter a person’s health, work, and independence in ways that a diagnosis alone does not fully explain. Proving the claim requires showing how the collision caused the injury, whether the effects are permanent, and what treatment, assistance, and financial support may be needed in the years ahead. 

At Hollander Law Firm, we examine the trucking evidence and medical records together to develop that full picture.

Gregg Hollander has practiced law for over 30 years and represents people with serious truck accident injuries throughout Florida from offices in Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, and Fort Lauderdale. Because he is selective about the cases the firm accepts, each potential claim is evaluated for the strength of the liability evidence, the severity and long-term consequences of the injury, and the available sources of recovery.

If a commercial vehicle crash has left you facing surgery, permanent limitations, or an uncertain future, contact Hollander Law Firm’s experienced Florida truck accident attorney to discuss what happened and whether the evidence supports a serious injury claim.

Call (561) 347-7770 or submit our online form today for a free consultation.

Read on to learn more about common truck accident injuries that we see.

What Common Truck Accident Injuries Do We Handle?

People often come to Hollander Law Firm after a truck crash to understand whether they have a claim. Our role is to examine how the collision happened, identify the companies and individuals whose conduct may have contributed, and determine whether the truck accident injuries and available evidence support holding those parties accountable.

We look at how the injury occurred, whether it is permanent, what treatment may be needed, and how it may affect the person’s work, mobility, independence, and future.

The following are among the serious injuries we commonly see in Florida truck accident cases. 

1. Traumatic Brain Injuries

A traumatic brain injury may follow a direct head strike or a force strong enough to move the brain within the skull. 

Symptoms can include:

• Memory problems,
• Slowed thinking,
• Headaches,
• Poor balance,
• Irritability, and
• Communication problems.

The consequences of these injuries can extend across nearly every part of a person’s life. A traumatic brain injury may prevent someone from working the same hours or returning to work with the same job responsibilities. Their injuries may also force them to shift financial or caregiving responsibilities to family members.

Insurance companies often challenge these claims by arguing that the limitations are temporary, unrelated to the crash, or insufficient to prevent employment. Hollander Law Firm can address those arguments by connecting medical and neuropsychological findings to concrete changes in job performance, household responsibilities, and independence.

2. Internal Bleeding

A truck crash can cause internal bleeding when the force of the impact tears blood vessels or damages organs in the chest, abdomen, or pelvis. The injured person may have no visible wound even though blood is collecting inside the body. 

Symptoms can include:

• Abdominal bruising or swelling,
• Chest pain,
• Dizziness or fainting,
• Rapid heart rate,
• Shortness of breath,
• Loss of consciousness, and
• Weakness or confusion.

Internal bleeding may require emergency surgery, blood transfusions, intensive care, or removal of a damaged organ. Complications can include infection, organ failure, reduced kidney or lung function, and a prolonged recovery that delays the person’s return to work and normal activities.

3. Spinal Cord Injuries

A spinal cord injury may occur when the force of a truck crash fractures, dislocates, or compresses the vertebrae surrounding the spinal cord. 

Symptoms can include:

• Muscle weakness,
• Partial or complete paralysis,
• Loss of bowel or bladder control,
• Chronic nerve pain, and
• Numbness.

Complications of a spinal cord injury can cause pressure injuries, infections, spasticity, and chronic pain, which may lead to repeated treatment and change the person’s housing, transportation, and caregiving needs.

Hollander Law Firm can work with treating physicians, rehabilitation specialists, and life care planners to document the equipment, home modifications, attendant care, and long-term treatment the injury is reasonably expected to require.

4. Amputations

A truck crash can cause an amputation when a limb is:

• Crushed between vehicles,
• Trapped beneath a trailer,
• Severed by intruding metal, or
• Damaged so severely that blood flow cannot be restored.

In other cases, surgeons must amputate because vascular damage, infection, or tissue death makes reconstruction impossible.

The effects continue long after the initial surgery. The injured person may need rehabilitation, repeated prosthetic fittings, replacement components, revision procedures, and treatment for phantom-limb or residual-limb pain. The loss may also prevent a return to physically demanding work and require changes to the person’s home, vehicle, and daily routines.

Insurance companies may treat a prosthesis as a one-time expense or underestimate how often it must be repaired, adjusted, and replaced. Hollander Law Firm can use records from surgeons, rehabilitation providers, prosthetists, vocational professionals, and life care planners to establish the long-term medical, functional, and financial consequences of the amputation.

5. Complex Fractures

A truck crash can cause complex fractures when the force of the collision crushes, twists, or drives parts of the vehicle into the body. The femur, arms, and pelvic bones are especially vulnerable in high-impact crashes. These injuries may involve multiple breaks, displaced bone fragments, damage to nearby nerves or blood vessels, or open wounds in which bone breaks through the skin.

Common complications include:

• Severe pain and swelling,
• Loss of movement or weight-bearing ability,
• Nerve or vascular damage,
• Infection,
• Delayed or failed bone healing, and
• Post-traumatic arthritis.

A fractured femur can prevent the injured person from walking for months and may require rods, plates, screws, or multiple surgeries. Arm fractures can affect lifting, grip strength, and the ability to perform job duties or personal care. Pelvic fractures can be especially serious because they may involve internal bleeding, organ damage, and long periods of restricted mobility.

Insurance companies may focus on whether the bone eventually healed while minimizing the lasting effects of weakness, reduced range of motion, altered gait, chronic pain, or an inability to return to the same work. Hollander Law Firm can use orthopedic records, surgical findings, imaging, rehabilitation evidence, and vocational analysis to show how the fracture changed the client’s function and what limitations may continue after the bone has healed.

6. Internal Organ Damage

A truck crash can damage internal organs when the body strikes the steering wheel, dashboard, seat belt, or another part of the vehicle. The force of the collision may bruise, tear, or rupture the liver, spleen, kidneys, lungs, bowel, or bladder. 

Signs can include:

• Severe abdominal or chest pain,
• Swelling or tenderness,
• Difficulty breathing,
• Blood in the urine or stool,
• Nausea or vomiting, and
• Fever or signs of infection.

The long-term effects depend on which organ was injured and whether it can be repaired. A damaged spleen may need to be removed, kidney trauma can reduce renal function, and bowel injuries may lead to infection, additional surgery, or digestive problems. Lung damage can affect breathing capacity and limit the person’s ability to work or remain physically active.

7. Burns

A person inside a passenger vehicle can suffer severe burns when the force of a truck impact ruptures the car’s fuel system, damages electrical components, or causes the vehicle to catch fire. Burns may become more extensive when the crash crushes the passenger compartment or traps the occupant inside, delaying escape and emergency extraction. 

Serious burn treatment may include:

• Skin grafts,
• Reconstructive surgery,
• Infection control,
• Scar management,
• Occupational therapy, and
• Ongoing pain treatment.

Burns to the face, hands, or joints can limit movement, grip strength, vision, and the ability to return to work. Permanent scarring and disfigurement may also affect the injured person’s confidence, relationships, and willingness to participate in activities they previously enjoyed.

FAQs

What If I Had a Preexisting Medical Condition?

A preexisting condition does not prevent you from making a potential claim. The key question is whether the truck crash caused a new injury, made an earlier condition symptomatic, or significantly worsened limitations that were already present.

Insurance companies may point to an earlier diagnosis and argue that the truck crash caused no additional harm. Hollander Law Firm focuses on changes in a person’s condition: what they could do before the crash, what symptoms and restrictions followed, and whether new treatment, imaging, or work limitations support that change.

Who Can Be Held Responsible for My Injury from a Truck Accident?

Potentially responsible parties for your truck accident injury may include:

• The truck driver,
• The motor carrier or trucking company,
• The driver’s employer,
• The owner of the tractor or trailer,
• A maintenance or repair contractor,
• The company that loaded or secured the cargo,
• A shipper or freight company that exercised control over the operation,
• A manufacturer responsible for a defective truck component, or
• A government agency responsible for maintaining the roads and traffic signals.

Hollander Law Firm can identify those parties by examining ownership and lease records, United States Department of Transportation registration information, bills of lading, dispatch communications, driver qualification files, maintenance records, ELD data, and electronic information from the truck. We also review the insurance relationships among the companies involved because different defendants may have separate policies or additional layers of coverage.

How Are Future Medical Needs Evaluated After a Catastrophic Injury?

Future medical needs often cannot be assessed reliably until the injured person reaches maximum medical improvement, or MMI. MMI does not mean the person has fully recovered. It means the condition has stabilized enough for physicians to give a more informed opinion about permanent limitations, likely complications, and the treatment or assistance the person may need going forward.

Reaching MMI can clarify whether the injured person may require additional surgery, ongoing therapy, medication, mobility equipment, home modifications, or attendant care. 

Hollander Law Firm can use those medical opinions, along with life care planning and economic analysis, to evaluate the long-term cost of the injury rather than relying only on expenses incurred during the first months after the truck crash.

Speak Directly with Gregg Hollander About Your Truck Accident Injury

The consequences of a serious truck injury are personal. They may affect the work you can perform, the care you need, the responsibilities your family must take on, and the future you had planned. Those changes deserve to be understood before anyone tries to place a value on the claim.

Gregg Hollander personally reviews the cases his firm considers accepting. That gives injured people an opportunity to speak with the attorney evaluating the claim rather than passing through a high-volume intake system.

Contact Hollander Law Firm online or call (561) 347-7770 to explain what happened, how the injury has affected your life, and whether the circumstances support holding the responsible parties accountable.