Many people do not consider sideswipe car collisions as dangerous as rear-end and head-on collisions. They think the injuries and damages are usually minor—just some dents or scrapes. In reality, this type of accident can also cause severe losses.
Regardless of the type of car accident, the victims have certain rights. As a victim of a car accident, you have the right to seek compensation from the at-fault party for your losses. You can do this by filing a car accident claim with the help of an experienced attorney.
Sideswipe collisions involve two vehicles making side contact either by scraping or hitting one another. It doesn’t matter whether the vehicles are traveling in the opposite or the same direction. Even if one of the vehicles is parked and the other vehicle scrapes or hits the side of the one that is parked, it is still regarded as a sideswipe collision.
The reason why this type of collision is dangerous is because of the position of the occupants in the vehicle. In cases of rear-end or head-on collisions, the back and front ends of the car can protect the occupants. This is not the case during a sideswipe collision, whereby the occupant feels the impact of the collision without any protection. Also, a sideswipe collision, even one at low speeds, can cause a vehicle to spin out of control, leading to a more fatal accident.
The causes of this type of car collision are:
- Driving under the influence: It is common knowledge that taking alcohol or drugs can impair one’s judgment and cause the driver’s response times to be slow. As such, the driver might be influenced and then swerve into a different lane or miscalculate the distance between their vehicle and that of another driver. You can read this article to learn about the penalties and consequences of driving under the influence.
- Distracted driving: When a driver’s attention is taken away from the task at hand (driving), it can cause an accident. So, if the driver removes the hands from the steering wheel, looks away from the road, texts or calls with their phones, eats food, etc., all these constitute distracted driving. Due to such distractions, the driver might be preoccupied with checking their blind spot when switching lanes or unintentionally drift into another lane.
- Aggressive driving: This includes illegal passing, cutting off another car, speeding, running another vehicle off the road, etc. Any of these actions can cause sideswipe collisions.
As we said, sideswipe collisions have the potential for serious consequences, and one of such consequences is injuries. The injury the occupants experience depends on certain factors, such as the impact’s speed and force and the vehicle’s size. The smaller the vehicle, the higher the injury potential for the occupants. Besides, a minor impact might cause the vehicle to swerve out of the driver’s control, which, in turn, can lead to a secondary collision that might cause critical and even fatal injuries.
Common injuries caused by this type of car collision are:
- Whiplash: This neck injury is a result of a strong, rapid oscillatory motion of the victim’s neck.
- Spinal cord and back injuries: If the spinal cord is affected during the accident, the injury might lead to complete or partial paralysis.
- Internal injuries: These are some of the worst kinds of injuries that require diagnostics to determine what the problem is. Commonly affected organs during an injury include the kidney, spleen, and liver.
- Traumatic brain injuries: Injuries such as these may lead to physical, emotional, and cognitive impairments. The result of this can negatively impact the overall well-being of the injured person and even their family.
- Crushed and amputated limbs: When the accident occurs, the passengers and driver might have their limbs crushed inside the vehicle or even have the limbs cut off.
Remember, if you are involved in a sideswipe collision, speak with a lawyer. They can help you secure fair compensation for your losses.
