Unfortunately, car accidents happen every day, at all hours. If you’ve ever had the misfortune to be involved in one, you will know that the most common types of car accidents happen before you even have time to react. Let’s explore some of the different incident possibilities below:
Rear-end collision
These types of auto accidents happen when one car hits the rear-end of the car directly in front of them. This can be caused by a lack of attention (looking at the sat nav system, telephone, or otherwise distracted), as it usually occurs when the car in front suddenly brakes or slows down, or in some cases when the car behind suddenly accelerates without properly noting the space between cars. In this type of collision, injuries to people in the car in front are usually more severe than those of the car behind. These types of car crashes can be avoided by leaving adequate space between yourself and the vehicles in front of or behind you, by carefully signaling with plenty of warning when you need to brake or slow down, and by keeping your eyes on the road and tucking that cell phone and other distractions away.
Side-impact collision
As its name suggests, this type of collision happens when one vehicle is hit on the side by the front, or rear, of another vehicle. These accident types can be particularly dangerous because the side of the vehicle has less padding to absorb the impact and protect passengers. To help with the impact of this type of collision, it is important to purchase a car that has side airbags for head protection to avoid serious injury.
Head-on collision
As far as types of accidents go, this is by far the most dangerous, often resulting in serious injuries if not death. While different types of car accidents can result in more or less serious injuries, the head-on collision causes the most serious injuries. These common car accidents often happens due to confusion while driving, such as turning into oncoming traffic or entering the highway in the wrong direction. It can also be caused by distracted driving, or drunk driving.
Vehicle rollover
This type of accident can happen with all car types, but are more common with taller, more narrow vehicles, such as SUVs, or lorries, due to their high center of gravity. With a vehicle rollover, the vehicle literally flips on its side or ends up on its roof. Although speed contributes greatly to vehicle rollovers, other environmental factors can play a part in this type of accident, such as road conditions or a lack of barriers on the road. However, it is statistically proven that the behavior of the driver is to blame more often than not. Distraction, speed, and impaired driving are all common culprits.
Single car accident
These types of accidents involve running off the road or hitting something along the road, for example a tree or wall. Many factors can be at play for a single car accident to occur. As it involves only one vehicle, it is often caused by driver behavior. Falling asleep, swerving to avoid an obstacle, or driving drunk can all cause the driver to lose control of their vehicle. However, mechanical faults such as brake failure may also be the cause of a single car accident.
Multiple vehicle collision
A multiple vehicle pile-up describes an accident where many vehicles are involved. These are the most common type of car accident seen on freeways and highways where there is a greater concentration of traffic and a higher risk of collisions. Due to the higher number of cars involved in these types of car crashes, the injuries to passengers are often serious or fatal, and damage to vehicles is costly. Cars caught in this type of accident can be hit more than once as there can be a type of domino effect with cars spinning and hitting other cars.
Sideswipe collision
Sideswipe accidents occur when two vehicles, traveling in the same direction, collide together along their sides, right side hitting left side. One possible cause may be a distracted driver moving out of their lane and bumping into a car in another lane. This surprise element causes drivers to react automatically, swerving to avoid the impact, which can result in other cars being hit. Slamming on the brakes is another trigger reaction to these types of accidents, and may cause rear end collisions. If you have been involved in any type of auto accident or motorcycle accident and need a Las Vegas car accident attorney, Valiente Mott offers free consultations to help alleviate your worries, and years of experience in dealing with diverse auto-related cases. With professional help, most common car accident cases can be dealt with swiftly, so why not give us a call and let our team of experts take care of the legal stress for you? We’re happy to help.