Oklahoma Lawyers Discuss Types of Car Accidents
Common Types of Car Collisions
There are roughly six million car collisions nationwide each year. About half of those collisions result in injuries to drivers or passengers. At least two million car collision victims suffer permanent injuries that result in disabilities, chronic pain, or long-term consequences each year. In Oklahoma, we see serious injuries that happen as a result of car collisions including motorists, passengers, bicyclists, and pedestrians every day.
A car collision can change a life's trajectory within seconds. Those affected and their family members face emotional and financial repercussions for a long time to come. They face many obstacles as they set out to seek justice and fair compensation for their damages and losses typically against large insurance companies.
Each car collision involves a unique set of circumstances. The manner in which a car collision happens often determines the nature and extent of injuries caused. Below are some of the most common types of car collisions.
Rear-End Collisions
These are among the most common types of collisions in Oklahoma. Rear-end collisions usually happen when the front end of one vehicle collides with the rear of another vehicle. Most rear-end collisions happen in stop-and-go traffic. But, even low-speed rear-end collisions can result in severe injuries including neck injuries or whiplash injuries. Rear-end collisions can also result in catastrophic injuries, or even death.
The severity of the injuries often depends on several factors, one of which is the speed at which the vehicles were traveling at the time of the collision. Some of the most common causes of rear-end collisions include distracted driving, inattention, speeding, and fatigued driving.
Head-On Collisions
A head-on collision often happens when a vehicle leaves its lane of traffic and crosses a median or a double-yellow line, traveling into opposing lanes of traffic. They also happen when a driver is going the wrong way or on a one-way street.
A majority of head-on crashes are caused by the driver being under the influence, fatigued, distracted, or speeding. Sometimes dangerous road conditions, bad weather, or auto defects may also cause such head-on collisions. These collisions often result in serious injuries, including traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord trauma, broken bones, internal organ damage, whiplash injuries, and death.
Side-Impact Crashes
Side-impact crashes, also known as broadside or T-bone collisions, are comparable to head-on collisions in the number of serious injuries and fatalities they cause. When a side-impact collision happens, one car hits the other in a perpendicular direction. This causes a tremendous amount of impact to the bodies in the vehicle, tossing occupants from side to side and back and forth. Injuries range from head and neck injuries, whiplash, fractures, and internal organ damage to just about anything. Broadside crashes often result in fatalities.
These types of crashes often happen at street intersections when drivers run red lights or stop signs, or fail to yield the right-of-way. Side-impact collisions could also result in vehicle rollovers, which can also lead to catastrophic injuries, or even deaths.
Multi-Vehicle Collisions
This type of collision happens when more than two vehicles are involved. We see these types of collisions often on our highways in chain-reaction crashes and pileups. Multi-vehicle collisions are often complex because they involve a number of parties. This means multiple lawyers and insurance companies. It also means that each person will have their own account of how the incident went down and who is to blame.
Contacting an Experienced Oklahoma Lawyer
There is a lot at stake in car collision cases, especially when severe injuries and significant losses have been suffered. Injured victims in such cases can seek compensation for damages such as medical expenses, lost income, hospitalization, permanent injuries, disabilities, pain and suffering, and emotional distress. Families of deceased car collision victims can seek compensation by filing a wrongful death claim.
Experienced OKC car collision attorney Ray Maples can help you get maximum compensation for your losses.
Call (405) 883-4487 for a free comprehensive and confidential consultation.