Understanding the Causes and Risks of Side Impact Crashes

Michael Waks

9 years ago

Side impact collisions are often caused by negligence or carelessness on the part of motorists. These types of crashes are some of the most dangerous collisions that occur. The side of a vehicle, unlike the hood, is not able to absorb much of the impact from a collision. Victims can be badly hurt or killed, and compensation is necessary to provide for treatment or to take care of family members left behind.

To determine if it is appropriate to pursue a case for compensation after a side impact crash, victims must know how the accident happened and must be able to prove who was at fault. Victims also must demonstrate the extent of their injuries. Understanding common causes of side impact collisions as well as leading risk factors which contribute to causing these accidents is helpful.

Common Causes of Side Impact Crashes

Side impact crashes are frequently caused by either a violation of road safety laws or by motorists who make careless choices. Many of these crashes happen at intersections, as one driver proceeds through the intersection and another comes from a cross road and hits the side of the vehicle in the intersection.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration published a report in which intersection accident causes were studied. Inadequate surveillance was the leading cause of intersection accidents and was the critical factor in 44.1 percent of the crashes studied.

A false assumption of another driver’s actions was the second top cause of intersection collisions, causing 8.4 percent of collisions. Turning with obstructed view, illegal maneuvering, distraction on the part of drivers, and misjudging the gap in the road were the other top causes of intersection crashes. These behaviors caused 7.8 percent, 6.8 percent, 5.7 percent, and 5.5 percent of intersection collisions, respectively.

While not every side impact accident is an intersection crash, a great many of them are, and all of them are the result of careless driver behaviors. Aside from intersection collisions, side impact accidents also commonly occur when a motorist pulls out of a parking lot or driveway without making sure the road is clear of oncoming traffic.

Whenever a motorist is unreasonably careless and his actions result in a side-impact accident, victims are entitled to compensation. A Long Beach car accident lawyer will do a thorough investigation to determine the cause of a side impact crash and hold the negligent driver accountable.

Risks of Side Impact Crashes

Side impact crashes often result in serious injuries. A study published in Annals of Emergency Medicine by University of Rochester researchers revealed as many as 10,000 deaths each year are caused by crashes where the side of a vehicle is hit. Traumatic brain injury is also three times as likely to occur in side impact crashes compared with other kinds of crashes, including those in which vehicles hit head-on.

The Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine also assessed risk factors of side impact accidents, determining these types of collisions were especially dangerous for children. The fatality rate for a child involved in a side impact crash was found to be 30 percent, compared with a 17 percent fatality rate for children in front impact accidents. Children sitting on the side of the vehicle which was hit had the greatest risk of serious injuries or fatalities.

The more serious the injury, the greater the loss and the more important it is for victims to get help fighting to recover full compensation.

How a Long Beach Car Accident Lawyer Helps Victims of Side Impact Accidents

Your Injuries are Personal to Me

Side impact crashes are just one of the many types of serious motor vehicle accidents that can change a victim’s life forever. I help victims of side impact collisions and other car accidents fight to get the compensation they need and deserve. Your injuries are personal to me, so I handle every aspect of your case until your claim is resolved.

Call the Law Office of Michael D. Waks at 888-394-1174 or use the convenient online contact form to schedule a free consultation to learn how I can help you if you’ve suffered a car accident injury.

You are under no obligation and you will never pay any money unless you recover damages for your injuries.

You can also download my convenient glove box checklist to keep in your car so you will know what to do if a crash occurs.

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Michael Waks

Michael Waks is an aggressive advocate for people who have suffered because of someone else’s actions. Michael decided to become a personal injury lawyer when, while clerking at a legal defense firm during law school, he witnessed and was infuriated by asbestos manufacturers spending millions to avoid taking responsibility for the egregious injuries they caused. Immediately after passing the bar, Michael opened his own firm in Long Beach, CA to help the victims of personal injury accidents get every benefit owed them under the law.