Truck Accidents Causing Amputations June 14, 2014.

May 28, 2014, an NBC News affiliate reported that rescuers had to partially amputate a 42-year-old truck driver’s leg after he lost control of his rig, slammed into a guardrail and a bridge pier, and pinned his left leg beneath the steering column.

"State Police are investigating the accident and are in the process of deciding whether [the driver] should be cited for careless driving," NBC stated.

Six months earlier, news station ABC.net reported that a 42-year-old truck driver’s leg was amputated after he crashed into a parked vehicle and crushed the left side of his rig.

The area was allegedly well lit, and "an initial investigation showed no signs of skid marks, brake failure, or any mechanical problem with the truck," ABC stated. Investigators did, however, find a cell phone in the driver’s cab, which means he could have been texting at the time of the accident.

Unfortunately, truck drivers and construction workers don’t just injure themselves when they drive carelessly. For instance, September 5, 2012, a 71-year-old dump truck driver backed into an Ohio State University student as he rode his bike on campus.

"[T]he teen suffered multiple broken bones and internal injuries and has been in and out of surgery," WSAZ.com reported the next day. The 18-year-old’s father told reporters that his son’s right leg was amputated and he would need further surgery to rebuild his pelvis and bladder.

The following January, the student’s family filed a lawsuit against OSU, the 10 contractors it hired, and the dump truck driver.

June 7, 2013, another dump truck driver ran over a man conducting asphalt density tests at an intersection. The victim suffered deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and had to have his left leg and ankle partially amputated, per madisonrecord.com.

He and his wife filed a lawsuit, which alleged the driver and his employer "failed to keep a proper lookout, failed to keep his dump truck under control, backed in a construction zone without an audible reverse signal alarm and without an observer, backed the dump truck without first determining that no one was in the backing zone and failed to implement a comprehensive safety program, among other negligent acts."

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) latest statistics, the number of people who were injured in an accident involving a large truck increased 18 percent between 2011 and 2012.

"Of these people injured in 2012, 73 percent were occupants of other vehicles, 3 percent were nonoccupants, and 24 percent were occupants of large trucks," DOT stated.

If a truck driver hit you and caused a severe injury or the death of a loved one, attorney Chris Mellino welcomes you to contact our Cleveland office for a free consultation before Ohio’s statute of limitations expires in your potential claim.