“Statistically speaking, side-impact collisions are one of the most common types of car crashes in the United States,” says our Allentown Side Impact Car Accident Attorney at The Law Offices of Greg Prosmushkin, P.C. Nearly 25 percent of all Car Accident deaths in the U.S. occur from side-impact crashes.
Sure, frontal impact collisions remain the leading cause of death on U.S. roads, but side-impact collisions can be just as devastating. Interestingly, the number of frontal impact fatalities has been steadily declining on a yearly basis, while the number of side-impact car accident deaths has been on the rise.
How Do Side-Impact Accidents Occur?
In order to understand why the number of side-impact collisions is increasing at an exponential rate, you need to understand the causes of side-impact car accidents, also known as T-bone collisions.
The vast majority of all side-impact car accidents occur at intersections, though a large percentage of these crashes occur in parking lots, when vehicles are traveling perpendicular to one another. Our Experienced Side Impact Car Accident Attorney in Allentown explains that many such Car Crashes occur due to one of the motorist’s failures to yield the right of way, running red lights, and violating other traffic rules.
However, not all side-impact crashes occur at intersections and in parking lots. A T-bone crash can also occur when one of the vehicles swerves out of control, and another vehicle slams into it broadside, or if the vehicle that swerves out of control slams sideways into a stationary object.
Hidden Dangers of Side-Impact Collisions
The high risk of Death associated with side-impact collisions has encouraged lawmakers to pass safety laws in order to increase vehicle occupant safety such as the mandatory installation of side-impact airbags that can save the driver and passenger’s lives in the event of a side-impact collision.
It is also important to remember that side-impact collisions can be more dangerous than frontal impact because there is not much vehicle structure that protects from another vehicle or stationary object that slams into the side of the vehicle. The door and window do not absorb much impact as opposed to an engine or trunk in frontal and rear-end collisions.
Another danger associated with side-impact car crashes is the fact that the driver and passengers hit from the side do not expect this type of collision. Unlike a front-impact accident, where the driver may have the ability to react to the dangerous situation by slamming on the brakes or swerving to avoid a collision, the driver of a vehicle hit sideways often has little to no warning of the impact, which means he or she cannot brace for impact or minimize any potential damage.
How To Recover Damages for a Side-Impact Car Accident?
There are many types of negligent driver behaviors that cause or contribute to side-impact car accidents, including but not limited to drunk driving, Distracted Driving (texting while driving), running red lights and stop signs, aggressive driving, failure to yield the right of way, and failure to adjust one’s driving to the road or weather conditions.
Since side-impact collisions are so dangerous, damages incurred from this type of car crash can total hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. Besides medical expenses, the victim may incur the following damages and losses: loss of income, the cost of repairing the vehicle, loss of enjoyment of life, pain and suffering, loss of earning capacity, and many others.
If you or your loved one has been injured in a side-impact car accident, do not underestimate the importance of speaking to an Allentown Side Impact Car Accident Attorney to ensure that you are getting the financial compensation you deserve. Only a skilled lawyer can help you determine liability and make sure that your Personal Injury Case is handled fairly. Get a Free Consultation by contacting The Law Offices of Greg Prosmushkin, P.C., today. Call at (215)-799-9990