What Are the Most Common Types of Car Accidents?

When people are out driving these days, their phones, GPS and other devices could be distracting them from paying attention to the road. They may also try to multi-task and eat a bagel and drink a piping hot coffee while driving to work, or they could be focused on what is happening outside instead of practicing safe driving.

Car accidents happen all the time; in fact, there are about 6 million car accidents in the U.S. each year, which equates to more than 16,000 per day. About 3 million people are nonfatally injured in car accidents each year. Additionally, in South Carolina, there are approximately 1,000 annual traffic fatalities.

Some types of car accidents are more common than others. If you were involved in one of these accidents and got injured, then you should consider hiring a personal injury lawyer who can get you the compensation you deserve.

Single Vehicle Crashes

Single vehicle crashes tend to happen when people run off the road and slam into something, like a telephone pole, or when they turn too fast or start to hydroplane in bad weather. These types of accidents can be very dangerous, especially if the driver is speeding.

Rear-End Collisions

Sometimes drivers don’t slow down fast enough and they end up hitting the car in front of them. Maybe when a light turns green, they instinctively hit the gas instead of waiting for the car ahead of them to go. If a driver is caught in stop-and-go traffic, they may get too close to the car in front and end up slamming into it. No matter what the circumstances are, rear-end collisions are pretty common.

T-Bone Crashes

T-Bone crashes are more dangerous than rear-end collisions because a driver or passenger may feel a direct impact from another car. They usually happen when two drivers decide to go at the same time at a stop sign, or one car speeds through a red light and hits another car going through a green light. A car may also try to go into oncoming traffic but misjudge how much room they have and get into a crash. Depending on how fast the other car is going, this kind of accident could result in a serious injury or fatality.

Multi-Vehicle Crashes

When three or more cars collide, then they are involved in what is called a multi-vehicle crash. These tend to happen on highways where people are speeding and suddenly have to make a stop. Multi-car crashes are extremely dangerous, especially if a truck is also involved in the accident, which often happens if the collision occurs on the highway.

Low-Speed Collisions

Low-speed collisions happen when people are driving at slower speeds and may need to maneuver their car in order to fit into a parking space, for instance. They tend to occur in parking lots where a lot is going on and people may not notice everything happening around them. Typically, these types of car accidents do not cause serious injuries, but they could cause minor pain or whiplash.

What to Do if You’re in a Car Accident

If you got into an auto accident in South Carolina, then you may be entitled to a settlement depending on the circumstances of the case.

When you got into your car accident, you should have filed a police report, taken pictures of the accident scene, obtained witness contact information and taken down the other driver’s insurance and contact information. Then, you should have gone to a medical facility for a full examination and let the doctor know about any injuries you think you sustained.

If your insurance company or the other driver’s insurance company called you to offer you a settlement, you should not accept the initial offer, because they typically offer far less than a plaintiff deserves.

Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer

A personal injury lawyer will collect your medical and police records for you as well as ensure that you get the right treatment for your injuries. They will fight for you and seek a settlement that will cover your medical bills, car repair bills, loss of income and any pain and suffering you may have experienced. If you were seriously injured, you could receive a substantial sum of money to cover all of your losses.

Your experienced personal injury lawyer will let you know how to proceed with your accident injury claim. This way, you can direct all your focus on getting better and treating your injuries, so you can get back to normal life as soon as possible.

Contact Mark Nowell Law Firm

If you have been involved in a car accident and you are looking for an attorney who will fight for you and your best interests, the Mark Nowell Law Firm is here to help. To get started, call our office today at (864) 469-2481 or message us online for a free consultation and case assessment.