Even with all the safety features of cars, accidents continue to cause catastrophic and even fatal injuries. Motorists in upstate New York are always at risk of crossing the paths of reckless and negligent drivers, meetings that often result in accidents that lead to personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits. Sadly, most car accidents are preventable, and so are the consequences.
Learning how the most common collisions occur might help drivers to avoid involvement. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that over 50% of severe auto accidents in 2016 were front-impact collisions. Along with head-on crashes, this category includes collisions with trees, walls, telephone poles and other stationary objects. The IIHS data indicates that one in four accidents in 2016 were side-impact collisions — also called T-bones or sideswipes. Failure to cede the right of way often causes these accidents.
The third crash type involves rear-end collisions. In many cases, these accidents happen in heavy traffic conditions. The most prevalent cause is speed, aggression and failure to follow at a safe distance behind other vehicles. In rush hour traffic, these collisions often lead to multi-vehicle accidents with several rear-end collisions that follow the first impact. Even seemingly insignificant rear-end collisions can lead to long-term health problems due to the whiplash motion that occurs to unsuspecting occupants of a car struck from behind.
Injured victims of car accidents caused by the negligence of another can pursue financial relief by filing personal injury lawsuits. Similarly, the surviving family members of victims who lost their lives might have grounds to file wrongful death lawsuits. The legal proceedings are complicated, and the best way to navigate civil lawsuits is by seeking the support and guidance of a New York attorney with experience in this field of the law.