What Are the Most Common Car Accidents That Cause Serious Injuries?

We’re so used to seeing the many different types of vehicles taking to the road these days that we don’t think about the increased danger we face every time we drive. You used to encounter cars and maybe the occasional small truck or van but now we have SUVs, monster trucks, big rigs, and even some autos modeled after actual military vehicles running side by side on our nation’s highways. The size and weight variances of this array of automobiles makes accidents more devastating, particularly when it’s an uneven match.

Another side effect of there being so many types of motor vehicles is that drivers feel more protected and emboldened, which factors into causing many different kinds of vehicle crashes. You can’t always safeguard yourself from another driver’s negligence but understanding how the most common types of car accidents happen can help you to minimize your risk of experiencing one.

Car accidents most often ending in death

Almost any car accident causes injuries, but the most serious injuries and fatalities occur from a handful of collision types. There were 664 deaths in Mississippi due to car accidents in 2018 primarily resulting from the types of auto wrecks below.

Head-on collisions

Head-on crashes typically occur at high speed, which is what makes them so deadly. The force of the impact against a hard object can render even the best safety features ineffective. Oncoming vehicles can lose control because of slick roads, distraction, being run off the road by another vehicle or by trying to avoid hitting a person or object. Drivers can also get turned around due to medical disorientation or impairment from alcohol or drugs putting them driving the wrong way in a lane where they hit unsuspecting drivers.

Tips to avoid a head-on collision

You can’t control how other drivers behave but you can remain vigilant.

• Obey the rules of road by avoiding speeding or reckless driving, especially in inclement weather. Slick roads can make it much easier to lose control of your vehicle causing you to slide into the path of an oncoming vehicle.
• Avoid distractions such as texting or reaching for items while driving. Taking your eyes off the road for just a few seconds can mean the difference between having time to react and dying from being hit head-on.

Rear-end collisions

Whether you’re hit by a tailgater in stop and go traffic or it’s a high speed impact, rear-end crashes can range from minor to fatal and typically happen one of three ways.

The driver:

• Isn’t paying attention because he or she is texting or engaging in other distracted driving.
• Has been rear-ended by another vehicle, which pushed them into the back of yours causing a multi-vehicle car accident.
• Has lost control of the vehicle due to road conditions like ice or rain, or mechanical malfunction such as loss of brakes.

The best way to prevent them is being cautious and leaving an ample amount of space between you and the car in front of you.

Tips to avoid a rear-end collision

• Do your best to remain aware of vehicles constantly changing lanes in heavy traffic or zigzagging between lanes at a high rate of speed. If you notice this behavior, attempt to move out of the way to let the driver pass.
• Try to leave extra space between you and the car in front of you in case you do get hit from behind.

T-Bone crashes

Getting T-boned is just another way of describing a side impact crash. It gets its name from the fact that the position of the vehicles involved usually resembles the letter T. These crashes can happen on the passenger or driver side of a vehicle and routinely occur as a result of a vehicle running a red light or stop sign then hitting a car already in the intersection. These accidents are frequently caused by impatient or distracted drivers.

When you’re hit from the side you have much less room for the impact to be absorbed. Depending upon the size of the vehicle and speed at the time of impact, you could sustain anything from traumatic brain injuries to spinal cord damage.

Tips to avoid a T-Bone crash

• Obey traffic laws.
• Avoid distracted driving.
• Always scan an intersection or roadway before entering or turning even if you have the right-of-way to guard against careless drivers.

Single vehicle crashes

When they hear about a car accident, most people assume that it involved a collision with another vehicle, but it doesn’t always happen that way. Another driver cross into your lane causing you to jerk out of the way to avoid being hit but that can still cause you to collide with an object or even roll your car without ever making contact with the vehicle that caused the accident. Anything that causes you to lose control of your vehicle can result in a serious single-vehicle crash.

Tips to avoid a single vehicle crash

• Refrain from speeding to give yourself time to react.
• Watch your surroundings and be proactive to avoid erratic drivers or obstructions that can force you off the road and into trees, ditches, or objects because you didn’t have time to react.

Being injured in a car accident can leave you with serious, long-lasting effects that result in unending medical expenses, pain and emotional distress. Recovering from your injuries can cost you lost time from work and income, and maybe even your job if you’re unable to return to the same position. In short, life as you knew it may change forever in an instant. You shouldn’t have to bear the financial burden on your own.

See if you may qualify to recover compensation for your damages by scheduling your free consultation with one of our Mississippi car accident attorneys at Merkel & Cocke, P.A. by calling 662-302-2979 or we invite you to complete our contact form. Our offices are conveniently located in Jackson, Clarksdale, and Oxford in addition to serving clients in the City of Tupelo.