What Are the Top Five Most Common Car Accidents?

Every year in the United States, close to 38,000 people die from car accidents. This translates to around 105 people a day. For this reason, we'll discuss the top 5 most common car accidents in the United States in hopes that you'll learn a thing or two about how to avoid accidents or about what to do if you or your loved one is involved. 

Rear-End Collisions

Rear-end collisions top the list of the most common car accidents on US roads. These accidents usually occur due to a lack of concentration, especially by a tailgating driver. Tailgating is illegal across the United States, attracting a penalty ranging between $100 to $250. 

Tailgating aside, other common causes of rear-end collisions include:

Distracted driving: Texting, eating, or talking on the phone are different forms of distracted driving. In addition, sleeping and fatigue can also slow down the brain's function, significantly reducing reaction time.

Speeding: Driving way above the speed limit can cause a serious rear-end collision. This mostly happens when the driver at fault fails to stop in good time, crashing into the vehicle in front of them. Such an accident can also lead to severe injuries such as spinal cord damages, paralysis, neck problems, concussions, whiplash, and more. 

Whiplash is more common during rear-end collisions, and in most cases, the symptoms don't reveal themselves until days or weeks after the accident. When you suffer whiplash, the body suddenly moves out of its natural alignment, causing soft tissue injuries. 

Hazardous conditions: This involves conditions like ice, fog, rain, snow, etc. Under hazardous conditions, drivers often lose control of their vehicles, leading to a collision. 

Single Vehicle Crashes

As the name suggests, single-vehicle crashes usually involve only one vehicle. They occur when the driver loses control of the vehicle, plunging into a ditch, spinning out of control, hitting stationary objects, etc.

Single-vehicle crashes can also occur due to poor judgment, especially when drugs and alcohol are involved. In worst cases, they may lead to the death of the driver, passengers, or even pedestrians. 

These accidents are also common among teenagers, but adults aren't immune either. Although it is impossible to completely avoid such accidents because they occur due to different circumstances, sometimes unavoidable, it is possible to reduce the number. For example, driving at a slower speed during bad weather can help prevent the vehicle from veering off the road. 

Given that such accidents involve one vehicle, some people assume that they can't file a personal injury claim after that. However, that's not necessarily true. 

Here's why:

If you have Personal Injury Protection coverage, you may file a claim with your insurer after a single-vehicle accident, even if you were at fault. Like many other claims, you may be eligible for compensation for medical expenses, lost income, out-of-pocket expenses, etc. However, the scope of compensation usually depends on the policies of that particular insurance coverage purchased. 

Additionally, you may be eligible for compensation if you own collision coverage. This eligibility does not change even if you are responsible for the crash. 

But, it is important to note that Personal Injury Protection won't compensate you for non-economic losses such as pain and suffering. 

What if your insurer won't compensate you for eligible damages, yet you have Personal Injury Protection, collision coverage, or any other qualifying coverage? The answer is simple: contact a car accident attorney!

At Morgan & Morgan, our car accident attorneys have the much-needed experience and knowledge of different car accident laws across the state. So even if you are not sure whether you qualify for compensation, you have nothing to lose but so much to gain when you take advantage of our free, no-obligation case evaluation. 

T-Bone Accidents

Also known as cross-traffic accidents, T-bone collisions are mostly caused by a driver's negligence. Common causes of T-bone accidents include:

• Poor weather conditions preventing a driver from stopping;
• Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol;
• Speeding or aggressive driving; 
• Running a red light;
• Running a stop sign;
• Making a left turn without yielding to oncoming traffic.

T-bone accidents are any driver's worst nightmare because they cause serious injuries and sometimes death. Some common injuries caused by a T-bone accident include: 

Head injuries: These injuries occur when the driver's or passenger's head hits a hard surface in the car. It can also happen even if the car is equipped with airbags.

Whiplash: As mentioned earlier, whiplash is also common in T-bone accidents. It can result in damage to the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in your neck. 

Punctured eardrums: This accident occurs due to a high volume of noise during the accident, mainly from the impact or deployment of airbags.

Spinal injuries: Such injuries often result in herniated, slipped, or fractured discs. When that happens, the victims may suffer from long-term effects such as paralysis. 

Internal bleeding: This kind of injury is dangerous because it is not usually easily detectable. The symptoms may not be noticed for days or even weeks, leading to further internal damage.

The risk of internal bleeding is one of the many reasons car accident attorneys recommend seeking urgent medical attention whenever you get involved in such an accident. This is because half of the time, when you don't feel any pain or experience symptoms right after the accident, it is usually due to the adrenaline running in your system. 

Accidents Caused by Merging Vehicles

You've probably experienced a situation where you need to switch lanes while driving on a busy road. Whether you're getting ready to take the next exit or you just need to find more space to drive without feeling too squeezed in between vehicles, switching lanes carelessly could lead to serious accidents.

This mostly happens when drivers fail to observe blind spots or turn on their turning signals before switching lanes. 

Low-Speed Accidents

These include accidents like fender-benders, parking lot collisions, bumps, and so on. They mostly occur in shopping centers, residential areas, and other locations that require drivers to drive under 10 miles per hour.

Although low-speed accidents may not seem as serious, they can actually lead to serious injuries. For example, there have been cases where kids get injured by low-speed vehicles while playing at a neighborhood parking lot. It is therefore essential to observe your surroundings even when driving in low-speed areas.

What to Do When You Get Into a Car Accident

Now that you know five of the most common car accidents, it is important to know what to do if you're a victim of such accidents. 

 When you get into a car accident, the most critical thing to do is ensure that you and your loved ones are safe. If you notice any injuries, call 911 and request an ambulance and police officer.

However, minor accidents such as fender benders do not require ambulances unless someone gets injured in the process. In such accidents, all you'll need to do is exchange insurance information with the driver, take pictures of the accident, record witness statements, and request a police officer to write an accident report. 

It is also important to note that taking pictures or videos of the accidents, recording witness statements and involving the police is a standard procedure in most accidents. This is because some drivers won't accept responsibility for the accident. After all, they know doing so means there's a possibility that their insurance premiums will go up. 

Even if they accept responsibility at the time of the accident, their insurer might claim there is no proof whatsoever that their client is liable. Remember, insurance companies will always defend their clients, especially in cases where they are at fault. The main intention is to minimize the amount of compensation that needs to be awarded to the accident victim. 

Suppose you've been involved in a serious accident. In that case, you need to seek urgent medical assistance. This is not only good for you but also increases your chances of compensation, especially if the accident is due to the other driver's fault. And even if you are at fault, but you have Personal Injury Protection insurance, your own insurance company should be able to compensate you for the damages.

And just because you have PIP coverage does not mean that your own insurer won't give you a rough time when you submit a claim for the injury. Instead, they'll always try to find a way to dismiss your claim, ensuring that you receive the lowest compensation possible or nothing at all. If you ever find yourself in such a situation, talking to a personal injury attorney from a reputable injury law firm like Morgan & Morgan is your best bet.

How Morgan & Morgan Car Accident Attorneys Can Help You

It is never easy to file a claim after a car accident. Insurance companies have claim adjusters whose job is to limit the amount you are entitled to as compensation or dismiss the entire claim altogether.

They will always find a way to blame you for the injury. And, in cases where their client is clearly at fault, claims adjusters and insurance companies, in general, will always come up with the lowest offer possible. Remember, insurance is a business like any other; the goal is to spend less and earn more in the form of premiums. 

But luckily, Morgan & Morgan attorneys have dealt with countless insurance companies and claims adjusters. We know every trick they use to reduce the value of a claim or dismiss the entire claim altogether. As a result, they can never trick us into accepting a lowball offer. 

When you contact us for a free case evaluation, we will review your case and let you know whether you have a valid claim against the other party. If you have a claim, we will advise you on what you need to do while your claim is in progress. 

Our legal representatives will also contact the other party's insurance company to inform them about your claim. While at it, we will begin gathering strong evidence to present to the other party's insurer. 

Negotiations for suitable compensation will begin shortly after. If we are not impressed by the other party's offer, we will pursue other options, even if it means filing a lawsuit against them. While some car accident attorneys would rather settle for a lowball offer than sue the defendant, Morgan & Morgan lawyers are different. 

We do not accept any offer if we feel it does not meet the value of the claim. And if we have to go to court to fight for your rights, no problem; that's just another day in the office for us. 

It doesn't matter whether the other party is at fault for the car accident; the kind of attorney you choose to work with determines the case's outcome. At Morgan & Morgan, we can comfortably say that we are the largest injury law firm in the US, and we have the numbers to prove that. 

Having won over $20 billion in settlements over the last 30 years, our law firm consists of over 1,000 attorneys all over the country. So it doesn't really matter where you live; you can rest assured that there's a Morgan & Morgan attorney in your state ready to represent you when you get in touch with us.