There are many types of car accidents that happen across the country each year.
A car accident can happen for many reasons, including texting and driving, driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, speeding, and many other factors. You may be entitled to compensation for your damages if you have suffered an injury in a car accident.
If this is the case, you need an experienced car accident attorney. Contact a car accident attorney in your area to protect your legal rights. Continue reading to learn more about different types of car accidents.
Rear-End Accidents
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 38,824 people died in car crashes across the country. Drivers that operate their vehicles improperly cause devastating consequences.
A rear-end accident happens when one vehicle crashes into the back of another vehicle. Rear-end accidents typically happen when the front car suddenly slows down or stops. Sometimes, the back car travels too quickly and causes an accident.
A rear-end accident usually only involves two vehicles, but the impact can cause a chain reaction and include multiple vehicles. Liability in a rear-end accident can be dubious. An experienced car accident attorney can help you ensure that the responsible party pays for your damages and that you receive the compensation you deserve.
Head-On Collisions
Head-on collisions are some of the most dangerous types of accidents that happen on the roads. They happen when the front ends of two cars strike each other. There are various reasons for head-on collisions, including texting and driving, mechanical issues with the car, impaired driving, or fatigue driving. However, the most likely cause of a head-on collision is one driver going the wrong way on the road or entering the highway on the wrong side.
Rollover Accidents
A rollover accident happens when a car rolls onto its side or roof. Larger vehicles (like SUVs) and cars traveling through inclement weather are at greater risk for rollover accidents. Common causes of rollover accidents include taking turns too sharply, a car hitting another vehicle on the side, and causing them to tip over. Rollover accidents can even end with a car sliding into a barrier.
Side-Impact Accidents
Side-impact accidents, also known as T-bone accidents, can have devastating results. A side-impact accident happens when a vehicle’s front or rear end crashes into the side of another car. Side-impact accidents happen when a driver speeds, fails to yield, is distracted by texting or driving, is reckless or aggressive driving, etc. The injuries from these kinds of accidents can be tragic and severe.
A side-impact accident can leave a victim with a head injury, neck and back injuries, and other injuries for which you deserve compensation. An experienced car accident attorney can help you get the money you deserve after a car accident.
Sideswipe Accidents
Sideswipe accidents happen when two cars travel parallel to each other and the sides of each car touch. Sideswipe accidents can lead to physical injury and property damage. Sideswipe accidents are caused by many factors, including texting and driving, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, falling asleep at the wheel, and improper lane changes.
The injuries that result from sideswipe accidents can lead to severe injuries. If you or a loved one has suffered an injury in a sideswipe accident, contact a car accident attorney in your area to protect your legal rights and begin pursuing compensation.
Single-Car Accidents
Single-car accidents happen on roads across the country and can lead to serious harm. In a single-car accident, the driver may contact the median, a cellphone tower, traffic cones, a fire hydrant, walls, rails, barriers, etc. As the name suggests, a single-car accident only involves one car, but the person involved may still be entitled to damages.
Multi-Car Accidents
Accidents that involve multiple cars can lead to tragic injuries. These kinds of car accidents are also called pile-up accidents. A multi-car accident usually starts with a rear-end accident.
Once one car hits another, a chain reaction can lead to a multi-car accident and leave the victims with massive injuries and significant property damage. Determining who is responsible for causing a multi-car accident can be difficult. You must immediately contact a car accident attorney if you have been involved in a multi-car accident.
Blind Spot Accidents
When you are on the road, you must ensure that you check your blind spots. A blind spot is an area where a driver’s view is blocked. If a car is approaching your blind spot or you are in another vehicle’s blind spot, there is a great chance of an accident happening.
If another driver fails to check their blind spot, they are driving negligently. If you were in a blind spot accident, contact a car accident attorney in your area immediately to discuss your legal rights following a car crash.
Accidents that Occur During a Lane Change
Changing lanes, especially when there is a lot of traffic on the road, can lead to a car accident, especially if a driver is distracted by texting, talking on the phone, under the influence of alcohol, etc. All drivers owe others a duty to operate their vehicles safely, and that includes safely changing lanes. If you have suffered an injury in an accident, you should contact a car accident attorney immediately.
What Should I Do After a Car Accident?
What you do after a car accident is vital. After a car crash, you should ensure that you do two things- get medical attention and contact a car accident attorney in your area.
Seeing a doctor as soon as possible after the accident is essential. There are a couple of reasons that it is crucial to see a medical professional after an accident. First, you should get checked out because you may suffer from conditions that a medical team can only diagnose. For example, the crash’s impact may cause internal bleeding, or you may have a concussion and need medical attention.
Another reason anyone in a car accident should see a doctor is that getting immediate medical attention after an accident will help prove the cause and weaken the insurance company’s argument that your injuries were caused by something other than the crash.
You should also contact a car accident attorney if you have suffered an injury in a crash. A car accident attorney’s job is to make sure that they protect your legal interests and that you do not fall prey to any tactics of the insurance company.
How Can a Car Accident Attorney Help Me?
A car accident attorney will help protect your legal rights after a car crash. Car accident attorneys are skilled in protecting your legal interests after an accident. If you or a family member suffered an injury in an accident with a commercial truck driver, you need an experienced truck accident attorney to help you pursue the compensation that you deserve. A truck accident attorney can help you in the following ways and more.
Help File a Lawsuit
Filing a lawsuit can get complicated. This is likely your first encounter with the civil legal system, and the opposing party will rely on your inexperience. An experienced car accident attorney knows the rules of civil procedure, evidence, and local court rules.
This knowledge will help you avoid losing your case on a technicality. For example, every plaintiff must conform to the state’s statute of limitations- a deadline set by law that limits the amount of time to file a lawsuit. You can rely on an experienced car accident attorney to protect your claim and compensation.
Negotiate With the Insurance Company
Car accident attorneys represent their clients’ interests with insurance companies. Insurance companies are for-profit businesses, and insurance adjusters focus on increasing the company’s bottom line. An unrepresented accident victim is more likely to settle their case for less than the case is worth.
An experienced car accident attorney will ensure that you anticipate both present and future losses and do not leave money on the table. If you or a family member suffered an injury in a car accident, call an experienced car accident attorney in your area.
Investigate the Cause of the Accident
The facts of your car accident claim will determine whether or not you win your claim. Having a solid understanding of the facts of the accident is therefore crucial for you and your lawyer. With the help of other professionals, an experienced car accident attorney can gather a complete picture of what happened during the accident. An accident may be caused by various factors, such as poorly maintained roads or vehicles, improper signage, or distracted driving.
Speak With Debt Collectors and Hospital Billing Departments on Your Behalf
Your car accident attorney will speak to debt collectors about your payments, including the billing department at the hospital that treated you immediately after the accident. Communication from the hospital and other debt collection agencies can be funneled directly to your attorney so that you can focus solely on your recovery.
Identify All Potentially Responsible Parties
It is important that you name all potential defendants in your car accident lawsuit. A mistake that some car accident victims make is that they do not investigate well enough to know all potentially responsible parties. It is important that you name every person responsible because you risk not receiving compensation for all your injuries.
Answer Your Questions as the Case Progresses
A car accident lawsuit may leave you with many questions. It is hard to know the best next step, and you cannot find the answers to all your questions with an internet search. However, suppose you have the right legal team on your side. In that case, you can rest assured that you will have a resource in your car accident attorney that will use their knowledge and experience to answer your questions and help you anticipate the next step of the lawsuit. There is no reason to go it alone after a car accident. Call a car accident attorney in your area to learn more about your options to pursue compensation after a car crash.
What if I Cannot Afford an Attorney?
A major concern that many accident victims have is how to pay for legal representation. Fortunately, in most states, car accident lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. A contingency fee payment structure is an agreement between an attorney and client where the client agrees that they will pay the attorney’s fee for legal services only if the client receives a monetary settlement.
The terms of a contingency fee agreement must be clear to both the attorney and the client and be in writing. Typical terms of a contingency fee agreement include the percentage of the settlement the attorney will receive as payment and who will pay litigation costs.
Litigation costs are fees associated with a lawsuit, including filing fees, postage, etc. An attorney may prepay any litigation costs and get reimbursed by the client after settlement, or the client may pay litigation costs as they arise.
Do not be afraid to ask your attorney about the terms of your contingency fee agreement. It is important that you feel comfortable with your legal team and with any agreement that you make. You must understand the terms of your agreement, so never sign anything without completely understanding it.
Contact a Car Accident Attorney for More Information Today
Car Accident Attorney, Phillip J. Barkett
If you or your family member suffered an injury in a car accident, you need an attorney to help you get the compensation that you are entitled to after an accident. Having a good legal team on your side after a car accident is an essential part of fully recovering. Contact a car accident attorney in your area and get the legal side of your car accident claim taken care of so you can focus on recovering from your injuries and getting your life back on track.
Get back to normal; contact a local personal injury lawyer today. The longer you wait, the more difficult you might make your claim.