Tracy Morgan truck accident left comedian with brain injury

Victims of traffic accidents are often left with numerous injuries, both visible and invisible. Sadly, the invisible injuries are often much more devastating and take much longer to heal.

In early June, comedian and New York City native Tracy Morgan was seriously injured in a truck accident on the New Jersey Turnpike. His limousine was violently struck by a Wal-Mart tractor-trailer driven by an allegedly fatigued truck driver. The accident proved fatal for Morgan’s friend James McNair, a comedy writer riding in the limousine. At the time, Morgan’s injuries seemed comparatively minor. They included a broken leg and broken ribs. Recently, however, it was revealed that Morgan suffered a traumatic brain injury that he has yet to recover from.

Morgan’s attorney told news sources that “when you have a traumatic brain injury it takes a very long time to find out how you’re going to do and how much you’re going to recover. You just don’t know . . . [Tracy is] still fighting and trying to live his life at the same time and trying to get better, and he’s just not better.”

This was a very serious case even prior to the announcement that Morgan suffered a traumatic brain injury. The truck driver’s conduct was reckless enough that he is facing criminal charges in addition to civil lawsuits. But if Morgan’s brain injury continues to be debilitating long-term, it could severely limit his career, not to mention his overall quality of life.

The risks associated with traumatic brain injuries cannot be overstated and should never be minimized. While Morgan’s lawsuit continues to work its way through the legal system, friends and fans nationwide will be hoping for a speedy and successful recovery.

Source: The Washington Post, “Tracy Morgan may not fully recover from traumatic brain injury sustained in car accident,” Justin Moyer and Gail Sullivan, Nov. 19, 2014