4 Most Common Types of Car Accidents

Below, you’ll find the 4 most common types and what to expect from each of them.

Though the roads can be a dangerous place, you can significantly increase your chances of safety by educating yourself and driving responsibly.

In a perfect world, no one would ever get into a car accident. Unfortunately, this is not the case. In fact, car accidents are one of the top causes of death in St. Louis. The reason is that there are many hazards on the road. Between bad weather, aggressive people, drunk drivers, and more, there are many ways you can end up in an accident. If you ever do end up in a crash, you can get more information on your legal options from a St. Louis car accident attorney. Still, it is valuable to have a basic understanding of car accidents before you ever get in one.

Rear-End Collisions

This is the most common car accident type. The biggest reasons why they take place are distraction, alcohol, and aggression. If a driver is not paying attention or is traveling too quickly, they will not be able to stop in time to avoid an accident. The result is a rear-end collision. For these types of crashes, the car that does the rear-ending is usually found liable. As far as injury risk, these accidents are not as lethal as other types. This is because the impact is coming from behind, rather than an area that is closer to passengers.

Single Vehicle Accidents

Sometimes, a car accident does not involve two drivers. Instead, just one driver makes a mistake and crashes their vehicle. This happens under a variety of circumstances. A few examples are losing control in bad weather, being intoxicated, or falling asleep at the wheel. While drivers often get into accidents with another car under these conditions, they also may hit something else, like a tree or a street sign. In these cases, the driver in the crash is almost always liable. The range of injuries sustained from these crashes is wide and depends on the speed of the vehicle.

T-Bone Accidents

This type of accident happens at intersections, usually when one driver is running a red light or stop sign. This can happen either because that driver didn’t notice that they needed to stop or because they aggressively broke the rules of the road. Most of the time, the driver that does the striking is the one that is liable. This type of accident is especially dangerous because of where the impact takes place. The side of your car is where you are most vulnerable, so these crashes often lead to severe injury.

Sideswipe Accidents

Though we do them every day, changing lanes is a maneuver that comes with some risk. That risk comes from sideswipe accidents. These usually happen because the driver that is changing lanes does not do so carefully. Instead, they will not check their mirrors or blind spot, and end up hitting you. If this is the case, they will be found liable. The severity of injuries in these cases has a wide range that depends on the speed of both cars.

Though the roads are a somewhat dangerous place, you can significantly increase your chances of safety by educating yourself and driving responsibly. One step in doing so is learning what to expect from the most common types of accident. Once you have that basic knowledge, you can supplement your understanding with the help of a St. Louis car accident attorney.