Some of the more common injuries that can result from a sideswipe collision include cuts and bruises, injury to the knees, internal organ damage, spinal cord injuries, whiplash, concussions, traumatic brain injuries, bone breaks and fractures. So, as you can see, a sideswipe collision can be extremely dangerous for all involved.
Many mistakenly believe that sideswipe auto collisions typically only result in minor injury and minor damage to the vehicles. However, as you can see from the conditions above, this is far from true.
Most sideswipe collisions happen when two vehicles are traveling next to each other and one begins to veer into the next lane. This is often caused when the driver becomes distracted or didn’t look before changing lanes. Many times, these accidents only involve the two vehicles or one vehicle and an inanimate object like a barrier or a parked car.
Other Causes of Sideswipe Collisions
In addition to the above causes, this kind of accident can also occur when there is some kind of road hazard that the driver reacts to. They also may be reacting to the possibility of an impending collision. To stop a rear-end collision from happening, the driver may react and instead negligently cause a sideswipe collision.
When this happens, the other vehicle involved can be pushed entirely off the road or can be violently pushed into a tree or utility pole, which can result in serious injuries and damages.
Texting while driving, talking on a cellphone, driving while tired, playing with the radio, and driving while impaired are just a few of the more common causes this kind of auto collision.
Insurance and Sideswipe Collisions
If you are involved int his kind of accident, then the insurance company may dispute the injuries sustained in a sideswipe collision. To properly understand this kind of claim, one needs to also understand the physics of an accident to formulate an argument about the accident that the court will ultimately accept. This is why it is so important to have an experienced personal injury attorney on your side when filing this kind of auto accident claim.
Vehicle Safety Enhancements
Even if side-impact tests were done on the vehicle, safety enhancements might not be enough to lessen the damages caused by this kind of auto collision. However, some upgraded designs have been able to save some lives.
For example, many new vehicle designs have more side reinforcements and stronger passenger compartments. This means that the vehicle may be able to stand up against crashes more than before. However, this is also dependent on other factors including the passenger’s age, weight, and height.
Sideswipe auto collisions can result in serious damage to the vehicle, but with these safety enhancements, injuries may be minimized. It reduces the passenger and driver’s contact with broken glass, metal, and other components that can cause serious injury during an accident.
Medical Bills and Lost Income
Due to Florida’s No-Fault Law, all registered vehicles need to have personal injury protection coverage included in their auto insurance policies. This means when you are injured in an accident. The insurance company pays for 80 percent of the medical bills and 60 percent of the lost income regardless of who is actually at fault for the accident.
No-Fault is a way to reduce the number of claims and lawsuits that are filed against negligent drivers in Florida. However, you still maintain your right to sue the negligent driver for pain and suffering, loss of consortium, and other damages.
To do this, you should seek counsel from an experienced attorney to help you with the claims process.