By Pendergast Law on November 6, 2012
A study in the Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine found that people involved in car accident collisions with a pickup truck or van are at a greater risk than those involved in a crash with a small car, and that occupants of pickup trucks and vans are at an increased risk for car crash spinal cord injuries.
The study sought to determine whether spinal cord injury risks increased when the difference in size and weight between two colliding vehicles increased. Researchers compared crash data from 101,682 spinal cord injury-causing crashes between a passenger car and a pickup or van with crash data from 805,991 similar accidents between two vehicles of roughly the same size and weight.
Researchers found that when a passenger car collided with a pickup truck or van, the occupants of the passenger car faced a higher risk of thoracic spinal cord injuries than if they had collided with another passenger car. The occupants of the pickup truck or van in these crashes, however, faced a higher risk of spinal cord injuries in the neck (cervical) or the lower (lumbar) spine.
When two pickup trucks or vans collide with each other, researchers found that the occupants of the vehicles were at a higher risk for all types of spinal cord injuries when compared to occupants of passenger cars.
Regardless of the type of vehicle involved in a crash, spinal cord injuries can cause permanent paralysis, problems with motor skills, and other lifelong disabilities. If you’ve been injured in a car accident, a hardworking Seattle pickup truck collision lawyer at Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S. can help. Call us today at 888-539-9211 for a free, confidential consultation.