Any accident, even one as minor as a fender bender, can have severe implications on the well-being of the victims. However, some accidents are more catastrophic than others, resulting in deaths and more severe injuries. Therefore, drivers must strictly adhere to road safety tips to minimize the rate of occurrence of such accidents.
“The proper use of safety devices like seatbelts and airbags can significantly lower the severity of injuries suffered in an accident,” says personal injury lawyer Christopher Largey. So many factors can contribute to the severity of injuries suffered in an accident, like the driving speed before the accident. However, some accident types are inherently more catastrophic than others.
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The Most Common Dangerous Accident Types
The following are the common accident types that are more dangerous than others. The fatality rate determines the danger and severity of the injuries suffered in such accidents. They include:
Head-on Collision
A head-on collision occurs when a vehicle collides face-on with another vehicle traveling in the opposite direction. This type of accident happens if a driver veers from one lane into another.
This type of accident results in severe injuries and, in most cases, the death of the occupants of the vehicles. The likelihood of passengers suffering from head-to-chest injuries increases if they are not putting on a seatbelt. Drivers must practice safe driving methods, like maintaining the recommended speed, wearing a seatbelt, and not driving with handheld devices.
A likely cause of the head-on collision is drunk or drowsy driving. Drunk or sleepy drivers can leave their lanes and run into a vehicle from the opposite direction. Injuries that may result from this type of accident include bruises, broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, and chest injuries.
Rear-end Collision
Drivers who fail to maintain a safe following distance are more likely to be involved in a rear-end collision. This type of accident happens when a car runs into another in front of it. While many believe a rear-end collision is only a minor fender bender accident, that is not always the case.
Rear-end collisions are said to cause severe injuries and sometimes lead to permanent disabilities in the victim. Even where the injuries may seem minor, they may worsen pre-existing conditions in a patient, thereby putting them in a very critical state.
One of the common injuries that victims are likely to sustain in a rear-end collision is whiplash. Victims may also suffer permanent damage to their neck and spine, resulting in long-term disability. While one cannot avoid a rear-end collision, maintaining a safe driving distance helps to lower the rate at which this type of accident occurs.
Roll Over Accidents
Many accidents may result in the vehicle rolling over, resulting in grave outcomes for the occupants. The angle of impact in a crash can cause the vehicle to roll over. Also, the driver’s inability to maintain control over the vehicle can cause it to roll over on impact.
Larger vehicles like trucks and SUVs are more likely to flip over on impact with another vehicle. Typically, vehicles with crumple zones make it possible for the force of impact in a crash to be displaced. However, in a rollover accident, all energy generated by the impact contributes to tossing the vehicle over, leading to devastating injuries and, in many cases, death.
During a rollover accident, the driver usually cannot abandon the car. Also, cabin intrusion, typically in a situation where the vehicle’s structural integrity folds inwards, can occur. This previously would have been a death sentence, but now modern cars have more solid safety features.
T-bone Accident
T-bone accidents occur when a vehicle runs into another from the side. The side of a vehicle offers little or no protection to the car occupants, therefore being fatal. A T-bone accident’s tendency to occur increases when drivers run red lights at intersections.
According to reports, 20 percent of car accidents are side-impact collisions. Because the sides of the vehicle by design do not offer the same measure of protection as the front and the rear, car occupants are more likely to suffer severe injuries.
A significant factor that can affect the rate of injury sustained in such accidents is the other vehicle’s speed. If the vehicle were moving at high speed, the car’s occupants impacted from the side would suffer more severe injuries. However, most modern vehicles have side airbags that can help minimize injuries in a T-bone accident.
Pileup Car Accidents
Most accidents involve two vehicles. However, there are occasions when an accident may involve several vehicles. This type of accident is known as a pileup accident. An accident between two cars can be fatal. However, when the number of vehicles involved increases, the damage doubles.
When an accident occurs on a busy road, other vehicles can collide with the cars involved in the initial accident, thereby worsening the situation. This type of collision can even result in fire, explosions, and flying debris that can cause injuries to even passers-by.
Off-the-Road Accidents
Sometimes, drivers can lose control of the vehicle and veer entirely off the road. When this happens, they can run into pedestrians and motorcyclists or crash into a building. The impact of such accidents is usually catastrophic, with victims sustaining severe injuries and some dying in the process.
The impact of such accidents increases if the driver moves at high speeds. Drivers must stay within the recommended speed limits to ensure their safety and that of their passengers.
Conclusion
Accidents can have a long-lasting effect on the victim. It can lead to emotional and physical pain, and where injuries are permanent, it significantly lowers their quality of life.
Many of these accidents result from negligence. If you are an accident victim caused by another’s negligence, a personal injury lawyer will help you get your due compensation.