Car Accidents
Car accidents are among the most common personal injury claims in the United States. Repots indicate that a motor vehicle accident resulting in an injury occurs every 14 seconds. Accidents can be caused by many varying factors, from intoxicated or distracted drivers to dangerous conditions on the road. Regardless of the cause, collisions typically fall into one of the four categories listed below.
Rear End Collision
Rear end crashes are often the result of one motorist following too closely to another. If the leading vehicle stops suddenly, the vehicle behind it will not be able to break in time, which will result in a collision. Alternatively, the driver of one vehicle may accelerate too quickly and collide with the car in front. Injuries from a rear end collision can include whiplash, as well as spine, back and neck injuries.
Fault in a rear end collision is typically placed on the driver of the car that was following. However, if the driver of the lead car cut off the following car and then braked quickly the fault may be on that driver. Alternatively, if a stopped car was hit by other traffic that pushed that vehicle into the car in front of them, the driver of the stopped car would not be liable.
Head on Collision
Head on collisions are particularly dangerous and often result in fatalities. In a head on collision, two vehicles collide front end to front end. These accidents can be caused by drunk or negligent drivers, by automobile malfunction or even construction work that narrows the road.
Side Impact or Side Swipe
Side impact collisions often result in serious damage to the vehicle and can cause major injuries to the driver and passengers. Otherwise known as t-bone, these collisions result in approximately 9,000 fatalities each year can cause injuries that are worse than those in other types of crashes as many vehicles do not have side-impact airbags.
A sideswipe collision occurs when two vehicles who are driving parallel to one another make contact. A side swipe is not as serious as a side impact crash and typically results in minor damages.
Roll Overs
Accidents that end in a roll over are often the result of a motorist taking a sharp at a high rate of speed turn or jerking the wheel to avoid a hazard on the road, causing the vehicle to end up on its roof or on its side. SUVs are particularly susceptible to rollover. In fact, in 2002, SUVs were involved in 61% of the rollover fatalities in the US. It is estimated that accidents involving rollovers result in over 10,000 fatalities in the U.S. each year. Serious injuries are 36% more likely to occur in rollover accidents than in any other type of accident.
If you have been injured in a car accident, it is imperative that you receive medical care immediately. After your injuries have been attended to, consider working with a personal injury attorney to begin the process of filing a claim with your insurance company, or filing a lawsuit against a negligent driver.
