With so many more drivers on the road, you also have many accidents. Thanks to high speeds and heavy vehicles, car accidents can range from mild to deadly. If you would like to know more about car accidents, check out these four common types of car accidents.

1. Rear-End Collision

In many cases, a rear-end collision is the fault of the rear driver. Courts and insurance agencies will argue they followed too closely, and had they not, the accident could have been avoided. However, the front driver can be held responsible in some instances. These include distracted driving, drunk driving, pulling out in front of the other car suddenly, or trying to get hit on purpose.

Given the nature of rear-end collisions, they can cause severe damage to the front and back of cars, but they can lead to injury too. One common injury after a rear-end collision is whiplash. This soft tissue damage occurs when the neck hyperextends after a collision. It can lead to stiffness and limited mobility.

2. T-Bone

A T-bone accident happens when another car directly collides with the side of your car. These types of accidents can be devastating because of where the cars hit each other. For example, if you are hit on the driver's side, your only protection is often a door.

The door could easily bend, and the window could crack, resulting in serious injuries or death. On the other hand, if the car hit the passenger side, and you were alone, the injuries will be less severe.

Determining who is at fault for a T-bone accident can be complicated. You will need to show the courts what happened at the time of the accident to prove you were not at fault. This means collecting witness statements, gathering evidence, or taking photos.

3. Sideswipe

Like a T-bone accident, a sideswipe involves the sides of cars. The sides of both cars collide with each other, resulting in damages and possible injury. Sideswipes are usually less severe than other types of car accidents, but they can lead to devastating consequences if you do not react fast enough or you react too extreme.

Sideswipes are often the result of blind spots in vehicles. Someone who tries to switch lanes may not notice your car in their blind spot and sideswipe you. Distracted drivers, drunk drivers, or sleepy drivers may drift into other lanes, which could lead to a sideswipe. 

4. Head-On Collision

Head-on collisions are not as common as sideswipes or rear-end collisions. That is good because they can have some of the deadliest consequences. According to a 2017 report by the Institute for Highway Safety, the fatality rate for people involved in head-on collision was 58 percent.

For the most part, head-on collisions are from when someone is in the wrong lane. The other driver may not realize they are in the wrong lane, or they may be distracted or drunk. Proving fault in a head-on collision can be easy if you have witnesses to testify who drove on the wrong side of the road or if the police quickly get to the scene. My firm will take depositions of all involved to prove fault. When necessary, we work with accident reconstruction experts to prove your case. 

In many cases, car accidents only lead to minor damages and injuries. However, collisions can lead to long-term damages and wrongful death. If you have been involved in an accident that was not your fault, you may wonder what you should do next. Before you accept any call from the insurance carrier or give your statement to them, make sure to contact Joe Owen at the Owen Law Firm so that we can fight on your behalf. Call today.