Most people prefer to believe that they’ll never be involved in a car crash. In reality, collisions can happen to anyone, even if you consider yourself a careful driver or you have a clean driving record. It’s worth reading up on the most common types of car collisions to educate yourself on how they happen—and how you can avoid them.
1) Sideswipe Accidents
When two cars are travelling parallel to one another in the same direction, one car may collide with the side of the other car. This is called sideswiping. It can happen when drivers try to turn or change lanes without looking in the rear-view mirror or their blind spot, or when a car drifts too far out of one lane. Sideswiping typically results in fairly minor damage to the vehicles, but it can still cause injury to the drivers. Remember, if you can’t see the other vehicle’s side rearview mirrors, they can’t see you.
2) Rear-End Collisions
Despite the driving laws in Maryland and surrounding states, which require drivers to keep a safe following distance, rear-end collisions are very common. As the name suggests, they happen when one driver crashes into the car just in front of them. The severity of the crash depends on how fast the rear driver was going. Rear-end collisions are usually the fault of the rear driver, especially if they were following too closely, driving while distracted, or tailgating the other car.
3) Head-On Collisions
Head-on collisions occur when two cars hit each other head-on, meaning one car’s front end has crashed into another car’s front end. Because they tend to happen at high speeds, head-on collisions can be catastrophic, causing massive damage to the cars as well as severe injuries or death. They often happen when one car crosses the centerline or drives on the wrong side of the street, perhaps due to intoxication, a distraction (like texting), or a medical emergency.
4) Rollover Accidents
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, rollovers have the highest fatality rates of any type of car accident. They happen when a car turns over. Rollovers are more common in vehicles like SUVs and pickup trucks, because these have higher centers of gravity. Drivers can be involved in rollovers when they suddenly jerk the steering wheel, swerve to avoid an obstacle, skid out of control, or crash into another car.
5) T-Bone Accidents
T-bones get their name from the shape of the accident: they involve one car’s front crashing into another car’s side. Oftentimes, t-bone or side-impact accidents will happen because one driver failed to yield the right of way, ran a stop sign, or ran a red light. Broadside collisions are similar because they also involve two cars colliding at right angles. Both types carry a high risk of injury.
If you’ve been injured in a car crash, you’ll need a strong legal advocate to help you claim compensation for your losses. Call the law office of Pérez Halpern LLC to speak with an experienced attorney who diligently serves clients throughout Maryland, Virginia, and D.C.. We will argue assertively for your right to recover damages.
