Auto accidents happen all the time, and about 40,000 crashes lead to death in the US annually. Many thousands more suffered a severe injury. Unfortunately, many people don’t realize they can file a legal claim in certain circumstances for compensation for their medical bills, lost income, and more. You can receive compensation in a claim or lawsuit if another person’s negligence caused your injuries.
This article describes the most common types of car accidents that cause debilitating injuries. Speak to a car accident attorney if you have follow-up questions or want to file a claim or lawsuit.
Most Common Types Of Auto Accidents
Most auto accidents in the United States happen because of driver error. Serious auto accidents of the following types frequently cause severe injury and death:
Head-On Crashes
Imagine you’re driving on a rural highway and traveling over a hill. Suddenly, you see another vehicle drift into your lane and slam into your vehicle. You have just been in a head-on collision.
A head-on crash occurs most often when another driver loses control of their vehicle and drifts into oncoming traffic. These accidents are usually due to fatigued driving, driver confusion or distraction, or intoxication. Some head-on crashes are single-vehicle accidents that happen when a driver runs off the road and hits a stationary object, such as a tree or road divider.
Most head-on crashes total the vehicles and cause severe or fatal injuries. You should always hire a car accident lawyer to represent you in the claim in a head-on crash case. There may be catastrophic injuries that require years of recovery, or you can be permanently disabled. You need an auto accident attorney to determine fault to get the most compensation.
T-Bone Crashes
A T-bone accident happens when one car crashes into the side of another, most often in an intersection. The risk of a T-bone collision is that the car being struck on the side only offers a thin door to protect the occupants. Most auto accidents involve front and rear impacts, and the passengers have more protection in a crash.
Many T-bone accident victims on the impact side have concussions, spinal injuries, broken bones, and internal injuries. A car accident attorney may review the accident and find that the other driver ran a red light or stop sign, which caused the accident.
These crashes also may be called side-impact collisions.
Rear-End Crashes
A rear-end crash occurs when one vehicle hits the back of another vehicle. Most rear-end accidents happen when an inattentive or sleepy driver hits the bumper of a vehicle ahead at a red light or in traffic. For example, you may sit in traffic on the interstate during rush hour. A car behind you has a texting driver, and they don’t see your brake lights, leading to a serious rear-end crash.
Rear-end accidents can be severe and often deadly. A tractor-trailer driver can slam into the back of your car at high speed and severely injure or kill one or more occupants.
The rear driver is usually to blame for a rear-end accident. However, there are cases where the front driver’s brake lights didn’t work, or they may have ‘brake checked’ the rear driver, leading to a rear-end collision.
Rollover Crashes
A rollover crash occurs when a vehicle rolls onto its side or roof after a collision. It can happen after various impacts, such as a T-bone crash or rear-end accident. Rollover accidents are dangerous because motorists might be ejected from the vehicle or slam their heads into something inside the car.
Sideswipe Crashes
Sideswipe crashes happen when a driver in another lane or the opposite direction glances off the side of your vehicle. The impact may be less severe than other crashes. Still, many accident victims lose control of their vehicle, overcorrect, and get into an even worse accident with other nearby vehicles or objects.
For example, suppose a car traveling in the other direction drifts over the median and glances off your car as it passes. It understandably alarms you, so you swerve to avoid the impact, but you overcorrect and turn into a tree on the side of the road.
Another scenario: A car in the adjacent lane changes lanes into yours, hitting the side of your vehicle. This situation can also cause you to lose control, perhaps by hitting another vehicle.
Many sideswipe collisions occur because of distracted or fatigued driving. Many of these accidents happen at night when people nod off while driving.
Multiple Vehicle Crashes
Multiple vehicle crashes happen in many circumstances:
- A car rear-ends another car stopped in traffic, causing the front vehicle to hit the vehicle in front of it.
- A multi-car pileup on the highway caused by speeding, bad weather, low visibility, or other types of driver errors. All drivers must slow down in poor weather and drive slower according to the conditions.
- An intersection collision where a vehicle T-bones another car, leading to that vehicle hitting another.
Multiple vehicle crashes can involve several at-fault parties. It is vital to retain a car accident attorney immediately after the accident so you are not incorrectly blamed.
Hit-And-Run Crashes
State law requires all drivers to stop after an accident involving another vehicle. However, some drivers are afraid of the police or may not have insurance, so they can flee the scene. Hit-and-runs happen after all types of accidents.
If a hit-and-run driver hits you, call the police immediately and don’t try to chase them down. You can cause another accident, and the fleeing driver can become violent if you catch them. Next, talk to a car accident attorney about your legal options. The police will talk to witnesses and try to find the driver. If they cannot locate them, your attorney may assist with your claim on your uninsured driver policy.
Possible Compensation After A Car Accident
Your auto accident attorney will attempt to prove that the liable driver violated their duty of care and injured you in the accident. You can be entitled to some or all of the following compensation if you prove liability:
- Medical expenses: You can be seriously hurt after the crash, so your past, current, and future medical expenses should be covered. Your attorney will review your injuries and prognosis with your doctors to accurately estimate your future medical costs.
- Lost income: Being hurt in a crash often means being unable to work, at least temporarily. Your auto accident attorney will add up your lost income since the accident and determine if a severe injury reduces your ability to work in the future. Any future loss of income from disability should be covered in your car accident settlement.
- Pain and suffering: Your car crash injuries may be painful, whether they are broken bones, back injuries, burns, or dislocated joints. Pain and suffering compensation is subjective; the insurance company may lowball your pain and suffering with a small settlement offer. However, your attorney will demand the most pain and suffering compensation based on testimony from your doctor and possibly recent settlements with similar injuries.
- Mental anguish: Severe injuries and medical treatments can lead to mental and emotional anguish. Your body can be shattered by a car accident. You may never be the same again. It is emotionally agonizing for the injury victim, and this suffering is worth something.
A car accident injury claim can be worth thousands or millions, depending on the details of the accident and injuries.
How Much Will Your Auto Accident Settlement Be?
Estimating your auto accident settlement without understanding your case’s details is impossible. The best way to get an approximate case value is to ask an experienced auto accident attorney to review your case. They’ll tell you that your car accident settlement may vary based on the following factors:
- How severe are your injuries? A severe head injury claim will have a higher value than a broken arm and leg claim. A head injury may require years of recovery, while broken bones generally heal within three to six months.
- How much are your medical expenses? A severe head injury may have hundreds of thousands in medical bills in the first month if you need hospitalization, surgery, and intensive care. And that is just the beginning of the medical expenses, so the case value will be higher than if you fracture your arm and only require a few visits to the doctor for treatment.
- How much insurance is available? The claim can be worth $500,000, but getting more can be difficult if the at-fault driver only has $50,000 of bodily injury coverage. Most people don’t have a net worth of hundreds of millions, so you may only get what the insurance company covers.
- Are you settling or going to trial? A car accident claim that ends with a settlement can have a lower value than if you win in a trial. However, the jury may rule against you, so you can walk away with nothing. That’s why most auto accident claims are resolved with a settlement for less than the full case value.
- How much is your pain and suffering? Suppose you are rear-ended at a red light. Your car bursts into flame, and you have third-degree burns over 40 percent of your body. You will have tremendous pain and suffering from the injuries and treatments. Your case’s value will be higher than if you merely injured your arm and leg.
- Which insurance company is liable? Some auto insurance companies are known to pay more or less for certain injuries. For example, an insurance company can offer a lower settlement for a whiplash injury than another. Soft tissue injuries are difficult to see in X-rays, and insurance companies know that certain injury victims exaggerate their pain to obtain more compensation.
Your auto accident attorney will review your case for free today and provide an approximate case value range. However, depending on many variables, your case can settle for more or less. Beware of any personal injury attorney who guarantees a specific settlement amount. There is no guarantee with any settlement or court award.
Want To Maximize Your Auto Accident Settlement? Here’s How
There are steps you may take to receive a higher settlement amount. The most important action is to obtain immediate medical care after the accident. Seeing a doctor at the ER immediately will aid your health and future accident claims.
You need to show that you realized immediately that you suffered an injury and got medical care. The doctor will document your injuries in your medical record and state they were caused by an auto accident. It is critical information for the insurance company or jury. Medical professionals’ expert opinions are significant in car accident claims and lawsuits.
Any delay in seeking medical care will lead the insurance company to ask if you were seriously injured. They may argue that you suffered an injury by something else or are exaggerating your pain. You can help your auto accident attorney maximize the settlement value by getting medical care immediately after the accident.
The second step to increase your settlement is to hire a car accident attorney as soon as you receive medical treatment. When you realize another person’s negligence hurt you, you should retain a lawyer. You will have better case results when an attorney oversees your case.
Your attorney will take over the case as soon as you sign the legal agreement and will begin collecting evidence and negotiating with the insurance company. It will eliminate any chance you will say or do anything jeopardizing your claim.
Speak To A Car Accident Attorney Today
No one wants to be in a severe car accident, but it happens daily nationwide. Always retain a car accident attorney if you’re hurt in a crash because of someone’s negligence. You should receive adequate compensation for your medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering. Speak to a personal injury lawyer today in a free legal consultation. You pay no legal fees unless your case leads to compensation.
James Wayne Holliday
James Wayne Holliday has been practicing law since 1995. He has been named as a “Best Attorney” Lifetime Charter Member in Florida, an honor awarded to less than one percent of the nation’s lawyers.
Mr. Holliday has earned a reputation as a relentless trial lawyer because of his outstanding work ethic and thorough preparation of his cases for trial.
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