No matter how small, an automobile accident is a big deal. From fender benders to head-on collisions, the physical and emotional toll is just as abrupt as the impact itself.
According to U.S. car accident statistics, around 6 million accidents occur each year, resulting in an average of 90 deaths per day. Whether it’s reckless, distracted, or drunk driving, accidents occur at an alarming rate, with three million injuries per year.
While all are serious, certain accident types are more dangerous than others. Here’s a look at four different types that are more likely to cause severe damage:
Single Vehicle Hitting a Fixed Object
While most people think of car accidents as vehicles colliding with each other, single-car accidents actually accounted for 27% of fatalities in 2018. Hitting a tree, light pole, or other stationary objects can have devastating results.
The reason? When you’re traveling at a rate of 45 MPH and crash into a tree, the car comes to an abrupt stop while your body continues to propel forward at 45 MPH. Since most vehicles do not hit an object squarely head-on, it can cause the car to rotate — ultimately rendering the airbags useless.
In fact, the less the front of the car is involved in the crash, the more deadly the outcome. The vehicle’s rotation causes your body to sway to one side or the other, missing the airbag completely. In some cases, you can be ejected from the vehicle through a window. The injury list is seemingly endless, making this one of the most dangerous types of crashes.
Side-Impact Collisions
Also known as a broad-side or “T-bone” collision, it was responsible for 23% of passenger deaths in 2018. In this type of accident, the front of one vehicle hits the side of another vehicle head-on (making the “T” shape). This frequently occurs in intersections after someone runs a red light or fails to yield at a turn.
A broad-side collision is one of the most dangerous types of accidents since the side of your vehicle does not offer as much protection. Additionally, the initial impact can cause the vehicle to spin out of control and hit a second vehicle, light-pole, or another object. The most common injuries include whiplash, lacerations from glass and debris, as well as brain, spine, and neck injuries.
Rollover Accidents
The violent rolling of a vehicle can cause catastrophic injuries to the body. Typically, a rollover occurs after someone veers off the road, whether due to another car, failing to pay attention to the road, losing control, fatigue, drugs, or alcohol.
As the vehicle rolls, the passenger’s body is subjected to serious injury since the seatbelt can only do so much to prevent thrashing from side to side. The trauma endured wreaks havoc on the body, often resulting in traumatic brain injury, broken bones, internal bleeding, or death.
Multi-Vehicle Accidents
You know the “multi-car pileup” you hear about on the news? It’s just as devastating as it sounds. It occurs when a vehicle sets off a chain reaction of accidents, such as one car rear-ending another. Inclement weather, distracted driving, high speeds, and drinking are just some of the causes of multi-vehicle accidents.
Since more vehicles are involved, the level of damage goes up. As you can imagine, a pileup of cars leads to disastrous outcomes. Each car is impacted from various angles, leading to more debris and severe injuries.
Have You Suffered an Automobile Accident?
What happens after a car accident? If you’ve been involved in a vehicle collision, an automobile accident attorney can help you figure out your next steps. There are certain factors to determine, including the damage and who is at fault.
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