What Types of Car Accidents Are Most Common?
Car accidents are the most common personal injury scenario we encounter in our practice. Malloy Law Offices is proud to employ some of the DMV area’s car accident specialists among our experienced and talented team of attorneys. Our team have encountered a wide variety of car accidents over their years of practicing law and advocating for the injured. Today, on our blog, we’d like to discuss the various types of car accidents we see come through our doors. We hope that this short guide can help you stay safe behind the wheel.
The Staggering Numbers Behind Motor Vehicle Accidents
Motor vehicle accidents and accompanying fatalities are on the rise. But unless one of these tragedies touches you or your family, it can be difficult to understand the true impact of car accident. We hope the following statistics can put these accidents into perspective for our audience. According to the National Safety Council, there were 12.8 million motor vehicle crashes in 2022. This resulted in:
- 42,500 Fatal crashes
- 46,027 Deaths
- 5.2 million injuries
- 3.6 million injurious crashes
- $340 billion in damages
This breaks down to:
- 126 deaths per day
- 14,247 injuries per day
- Over $930 million in damages per day
Unpacking the Types of Car Accidents
Let’s define in brief the boundaries of our inquiry into common types of car accidents we at Malloy Law Offices are accustomed to encountering. We’ll be focusing on accidents involving one or more vehicles striking another. These incidents can vary wildly in severity but the main qualification for inclusion here will be that two or more vehicles are involved in the wreckage. Furthermore, we’ll be focusing on collisions between common domestic automobiles. While we do encounter serious crashes involving commercial freight trucks, passenger buses, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians, we’ll be drilling down on the unique varieties of vehicular collisions.
Head-On Collisions
A head on collision occurs when two cars meet at speed while traveling in opposite directions. Due to the substantial forces exerted upon the cars, drivers, and passengers, these crashes are often severe and can lead to serious bodily injury or fatality. However, it is often very clear which driver was at fault. These crashes often occur because one driver was traveling the wrong way on a highway or down a one-way street.
Rear End Collisions
This common genre of “fender bender” is often fairly mild at first appearance. But a rear-end accident can often lead to spinal cord damage or concussion, as the sudden impact takes drivers and passengers unawares. While these injuries are often minimized as so-called “whiplash,” we here at Malloy Law have seen the impact of these injuries up close and personal.
In rear-end collisions, the driver in the rear is generally assumed to be at fault for failure to leave adequate stopping distance. However, there are exceptions.
T-Bone Collisions
“T-bone” is a colloquial term referring to the types of car accidents where one vehicle’s front impacts on another vehicle’s side. These impacts are especially hazardous for those in the car stuck on its side. The sides of cars, particularly older ones, tend to be less structurally sound and boast fewer safety features.
Fault in these accidents is often tricky. It may be a result of simple miscommunication. It may be recklessness or failure to yield on the part of one or both drivers. Recovery may be simple, and it may be impossible. Remember, just because the consequences of an accident were more severe for one party, this does not mean that the other driver is automatically at fault.
Multi-Car Collisions
Multi-car pileups often occur at the back of large traffic formations when one car strikes another and pushes the vehicles in front of it into each other like dominoes. Litigation in these circumstances can quickly become a tangled web of claims and counter-claims. Fault is sometimes very difficult to determine.
Lane Change Accidents
Lane change accidents occur when one vehicle brushes up against another while switching lanes on the highway. As they often occur at high speeds on crowded highways, these accidents can quickly become chaotic and dangerous. If one driver failed to check their mirrors or blind spot before attempting to merge, they may be at fault for whatever damages result from their accident.
How Malloy Law Offices Can Help
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, don’t face it alone. Contact Malloy Law Offices today for a free consultation. Our staff are standing by to take your call twenty four hours a day. Contact Malloy Law and let’s win your case.
