Five Most Dangerous Types of Auto Accidents By dtaw on July 16, 2018

At The Tawwater Law Firm, out attorneys have represented cases involving all manners of auto accidents. Many car accidents leave victims dealing with physical, emotional, and financial losses that can be debilitating.

Here, we discuss the five most dangerous types of auto accidents to inflict damages on our Oklahoma City, OK clients.

Head-on Collisions

Head-on collisions can take place when one driver is traveling down the road in the wrong direction and strikes the front of another vehicle with the front-end of their own vehicle. Head-on collisions are dangerous for a number of reasons.

First, these types of accidents nearly always occur at high speeds, which can double the force of the impact.

Second, the force of a head-on collision throws the passenger forward, where they will strike the airbag and seatbelt; if a seatbelt is not worn, passengers may come into contact with the windshield of the vehicle.

Finally, head-on collisions can cause catastrophic injuries. Some common injuries in a head-on collision include neck and back trauma, brain injuries, and broken bones.

Side Impact Accidents

Side impact accidents typically occur in intersections. One driver may make a turn without checking for oncoming traffic and can end up driving into the driver or passenger side of another vehicle. Whether these accidents take place at high or low speeds, the injuries tend to be pretty severe.

The reason that side impact injuries are damaging is because most vehicles do not offer as much protection from the side. While cars and trucks are built to minimize the impact of a collision from the front or rear of the car, there is little to absorb the force of an accident from the side.

Although side airbags are becoming more common, many vehicles lack even this basic safety feature. As a result, side impact accidents can cause significant personal injuries along with property damage.

Rollover Accidents

Rollover accidents are included on the most dangerous list because, when they do occur, injuries tend to be catastrophic. If a vehicle is pushed onto its side, or all the way onto its roof, passengers inside are likely to suffer head, neck, or back injuries that can be physically and mentally debilitating.

Rollover accidents also account for roughly 35 percent of deaths from passenger vehicle crashes, even though only about 2 percent of accidents result in a rollover.

Truck Accidents

No matter what type of auto accident occurs, if it involves a commercial truck, it is likely to be highly damaging. Commercial trucks weigh significantly more than other vehicles on the road, so the impact of a truck accident is always more severe than an accident involving two passenger cars.

Catastrophic injuries and wrongful death are a real risk of truck accidents. The financial impact of a truck accident also tends to be greater than other types of accidents on the road, as injuries in these accidents often require lengthy and expensive medical treatment.

Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcycle accidents are another type of crash that can be extremely damaging regardless of what type of collision occurs. Motorcycles are much smaller and lighter in weight than most other vehicles, so even a minor impact can cause a motorcycle to tip or completely flip over.

Adding to the danger of a motorcycle accident is the fact that they provide no protection to riders. Aside from a helmet and some leather gear, there is really nothing that protects a rider in the event of an accident. Motorcycle accidents often cause catastrophic injuries and carry a serious risk of death.