(Photo : 3 Common Types of Auto Accidents)
No two accidents are ever alike, which is why it can be so difficult to go through a claims process and fight to get the money that you actually deserve when you are the victim of someone else's driving decisions. However, there are some types of accidents that are more common than others. The following are the three most common types of car accidents in the United States, although the specifics of any accident, whether or not they fall into the following categories, are staggeringly unique.
Unfortunately, no matter how vigilant you are as a driver there is no guarantee that you will not be hurt in an accident as a result of someone else's reckless or negligent driving. The important thing to remember if you are in an accident, whether one of the following three or any other type of accident, is that you remain calm at the scene and prioritize your own safety and health above all.
Rear-End Accidents
Rear-end accidents are extremely common, and are most likely to happen at stop signs, red lights, yields, and other areas on roads where traffic either slows or comes to a stop. These types of accidents have been common forever, but since the advent of smartphones, these accidents are even more common. When someone is sending a text message, checking their email, or otherwise using their phone while driving, it can be very easy for them to not realize that traffic has come to a stop ahead of them.
Rear-end accidents can also happen on highways or other higher-speed roads when traffic either slows or stops. In stormy conditions, it can be very common to see multiple-car pileups when someone hits their brakes quickly and the cars behind them hit their brakes, skid, and end up causing a collision.
Lane Change Accidents
On highways or other roads with more than multiple lanes, lane change accidents are very common for a number of reasons. When someone is changing lanes on the highway, they can lose other vehicles in their blind spots or simply not realize that there is a vehicle next to them at all. Either way, these types of accidents can lead to serious secondary crashes if one or both of the vehicles either lose control or are pushed into yet another lane.
Lane change accidents are especially dangerous for motorcycles, because they are easily lost in vehicle blind spots due to how much smaller they are than passenger vehicles. In addition to how easy it can be for an inexperienced or distracted driver to not see a motorcycle, the injuries can be far worse because riders are thrown from the bike upon contact.
Left-Turn Accidents
Left-turn accidents are another common type of car collision, and they happen when someone makes a left turn directly across the other lane and into the path of another vehicle. As with the two aforementioned types of collisions, these types of crashes can cause serious harm to everyone involved. In most cases, the person taking the left turn is at fault for the accident, and therefore liable for the damages that everyone else incurs.
If you have been in a left-turn accident, it is important that you work with an attorney to ensure that you are not found to be any more at fault than you should be, if at all. Insurance companies will work aggressively to pin some blame on other drivers in order to reduce their own financial obligation, whether or not their justification is legitimate.
