Types of Car Accidents

Request Free Consultation

While we use the term car accident in casual conversation, the St. Louis car accident attorneys at Miller & Hine have seen how devastating these incidents can be. They can cause catastrophic injuries that forever alter a victim’s life or lead to the death of a loved one. The term accident doesn’t seem so fitting when we know that most of them are not actually accidents but preventable incidents that are the result of carelessness, inattention, or negligence. Our personal injury attorneys can help with any of the following types of motor vehicle collisions:

Rear-End Crashes

Rear-end crashes occur when one vehicle’s front hits the back of the vehicle in front of it. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), rear-end crashes are the most frequent type of collision, accounting for 29% of all crashes and resulting in a substantial number of injuries and traffic fatalities every year. The NHTSA report says that failure to respond or delays in responding to a stopped or decelerating lead vehicle is generally a result of distraction and that 87% of rear-end crashes in which the following driver struck the lead vehicle involved some degree of driver distraction.

Head-On Collisions

While head-on collisions are not the most common type of auto accident, they are significantly more dangerous. Head-on collisions occur when two vehicles’ fronts crash into each other. Head-on collisions were responsible for 10% of fatal auto accidents in one recent year.

These crashes are commonly due to:

Sideswipe Collisions

A sideswipe collision occurs when one vehicle collides with the side of another vehicle. For example, one vehicle may drift into an adjoining lane and crash into the side of the other vehicle. These so-called accidents are often due to driver inattention or impairment. Drunk drivers have difficulty staying in the same lane. They can also be caused when a driver does not check their blind spot when merging or switching lanes.

T-Bone Crashes

T-bone crashes involve one driver colliding with the side of another vehicle. The leading cause of this type of crash is when a driver fails to yield to an oncoming vehicle when turning left. These crashes can also occur at intersections when a driver runs a red light or stop sign and hits the other vehicle.

These crashes can result in serious injuries, such as:

Rollovers

A rollover crash is defined as one in which the vehicle turns onto its side or top at any point during the incident. The United States Department of Transportation says that rollovers are more likely to be fatal than any other type of motor vehicle collision. These crashes are more likely to occur in vehicles with a higher center of gravity, such as SUVs and vans. Many of these incidents are one-vehicle occurrences, which might occur when a driver is impaired, drives too fast around a curve, or overcorrects. Passengers in these situations may have a right to seek compensation for their injuries through a personal injury claim.

Contact a Car Accident Lawyer Today

If you were injured in any of the collisions described above, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. The St. Louis personal injury attorneys at Miller & Hine are here to help you demand it. Call us at (314) 408-5708 to get started.