Rear-End Collisions Can Cause Serious Injuries
For many people, rear-end collisions represent more than just a small fender-bender. Being involved in a rear-end collision with an automobile traveling at highway speeds results in serious and sometimes permanent injuries. Even low-impact speeds can result in serious injuries. If you should be unfortunate enough to be injured in a rear-end collision, an injury lawyer can help you get the compensation you deserve.
Are Rear-End Collisions a Risk?
A staggering 29 percent of all traffic accidents involve a rear-end collision making the risk of being involved in one significant. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that most of these accidents occur when the vehicle in front is moving slowly or stopped. Most of these accidents happen on dry roads during daylight hours. Males commit rear-end collisions with another vehicle more than females do.
How Can Serious Injuries Occur in a Rear-End Collision?
The severity of injuries from rear-end collisions can vary widely. There are some people who suffer from stiff necks and muscle pain. This cervical strain or sprain, usually called whiplash, happens because the head whips back and forth with force from the collision impact. Symptoms of this type of injury usually resolve in a month with rest.
However, some cases of whiplash can last for a year or more and affect the injured person’s ability to work and enjoy life. At highway speeds, a rear-end collision can cause a traumatic brain injury, including a subdural hematoma as the brain bounces against the inside of the skull. It can also cause a vertebra in the neck to become herniated. Both of these injuries often require surgical repair.
What Are the Most Common Reasons for Rear-End Collisions?
Negligence by one of the drivers is the most common cause of a rear-end collision the majority of the time. However, outside factors can also lead to this type of crash. Keeping a safe distance between the vehicle ahead of you and your own is a driver’s duty, as is staying alert to traffic flow changes that might cause a rear-end collision. These are the common key factors that cause rear-end collisions:
- Drunk driving is a dangerous behavior that leads to many accidents. Drinking while driving impairs judgment, coordination and reflexes.
- Driving while fatigued: Many crashes occur when the driver drifts off behind the wheel or doesn’t realize they’ve drifted into another lane. The majority of these accidents occur after dark, especially on weekends. An automobile can travel the distance of a football field in only five seconds at highway speeds, making it difficult to avoid a rear-end collision. A rear-end collision at highway speeds can cause traumatic injuries and end up involving multiple vehicles.
- Distracted driving: Rear-end collisions are often caused by distracted drivers when they eat, text or look for something in their vehicles while driving.
- Speeding: Accidents involving rear-end collisions are frequently caused by speeding. Driving over the speed limit puts the driver at risk of losing control of his/her vehicle and being unable to stop in time to avoid a crash. How fast a driver is speeding when entering an intersection determines the severity of injuries to a pedestrian, increasing the risk of causing a fatality.
Call the Olinde Law Firm for Help
If you were injured in a rear-end collision, call the Olinde Law Firm. You can reach us at (800) 587-1889 or contact us online. We can schedule a free case review with our legal team who will examine your case, answer your questions and discuss how you can get the compensation you deserve.