COMMON TYPES OF CAR CRASHES

When you’re involved in a car accident, the type of crash that occurs directly impacts the nature of the resulting damage. In some cases, it may also indicate:

• The motorist misbehaviors that caused the accident
• Liability for the collision.

Relaying more about how and why car crashes occur, the following highlights the most common types of auto accidents. Whether you were hurt in one of these or another type of accident, you can turn to Colorado Springs Car Accident Attorney Wm Andrew “Drew” Wills II for answers regarding your legal options and potential claim.

Rear-End Collisions

Nearly half of all two-vehicle car accidents are rear-end collisions, according to the NTSB.

While these crashes can cause various injuries, the most common include head, neck and back injuries. At faster speeds and/or when a heavier vehicle rear-ends a lighter vehicle, the results can be deadly. In fact, at least 1,700 people in the U.S. are killed every year in rear-end collisions, equating to more than 4 people every day.

According to federal authorities, about 87 percent of rear-end collisions involve a motorist “failing to attend to traffic ahead.” Driver distraction and driver impairment are two factors that commonly contribute to this failure.

Head-On Collisions

While head-on collisions only makeup about 2 percent of all traffic crashes, they account for more than 10 percent of all deadly auto accidents, as the latest data shows. These crashes can occur when drivers:

• Fail to stay in their lane of traffic, veering into lanes of oncoming traffic
• Enter one-way streets the wrong way
• Enter “exit only” driveways.

While a lack of signage or poor lane dividers may contribute to head-on collisions, so too can driver impairment, driver distraction, driver fatigue and driver inexperience.

Side-Impact Collisions

Also referred to as T-bone collisions, these crashes commonly occur at intersections when at least one motorist fails to stop at a red light or stop sign. In some cases, slick road conditions can contribute to these wrecks.

Side-impact crashes tend to result in serious injuries, particularly for vehicle occupants who are sitting on the side of the vehicle that is hit.

Rollovers

While the previous types of car accidents always involve at least two vehicles, rollovers can be single-vehicle crashes. In fact, according to data from federal transportation authorities, nearly 85 percent of all rollovers are single-vehicle crashes.

These accidents only comprise about 1 percent of all traffic crashes, but they account for nearly 33 percent of all fatal wrecks. One reason rollovers are so often deadly is they commonly crush the roofs of cars and/or throw occupants from vehicles.

While vehicle design can contribute to these crashes (like when vehicles have dangerously high centers of gravity), so too can speeding, failing to stay one’s lane of traffic and making sharp, sudden terms. These actions are frequently associated with motorist impairment and distraction.

Pedestrian Accidents

All too often, motorists hit pedestrians, causing serious – if not potentially deadly – injuries. As federal transportation authorities report, 11 percent of those killed in car accidents are pedestrians. This equates to roughly 13 pedestrians being killed in crashes each day. In most cases, these accidents are the result of at least one error made by the driver.

While poor lighting can increase the risk of pedestrian accidents, so too can driver errors like failing to abide by traffic laws and distracted driving.

Fatal Car Accidents

Tragically, auto accidents are a leading cause of death, killing more than 37,000 people across the nation each year, as noted by federal authorities. The vast majority of these deaths are caused by preventable negligence, like (but not limited to):

• Driver distraction
• Drowsy driving
• Impaired driving

Though federal and state transportation authorities are working hard to prevent auto crashes and save lives, accidents like those discussed above still happen far too often – and more than 94 percent of them are caused by human errors.

Motorists whose errors and failures have caused crashes can be held liable for the resulting injuries and damage. Colorado Springs Car Accident Attorney Wm Andrew “Drew” Wills II is ready to help accident victims identify the negligence that caused their wreck and hold all at-fault parties accountable.

Contact a Colorado Springs Car Accident Attorney at Wills Law, P.C.

If you or a loved one has been hurt in a car crash, contact Attorney Drew Wills II for a free, no obligations consultation and critical information about your legal options.

Call (719) 633-8500 or email the firm.

For more than three decades, Attorney Drew Wills II has been helping car accident victims secure the compensation they deserve. Highly familiar with Colorado traffic laws and civil litigation procedure, Attorney Drew Wills II has a deep understanding of how to help injured people successfully navigate the civil justice system so they can secure the financial recoveries they deserve.

From offices in Colorado Springs, Attorney Drew Wills II represents clients throughout El Paso County and Colorado.