Side Impact Car Accidents

Ryan Bradley | February 20, 2014 | Car Accident \ Expertise Areas

Side Impact Car Accidents, sometimes referred to as “broadside collisions” or “T-bone collisions,” occur when the side of a vehicle is struck by another vehicle or object.These types of car wrecks are very dangerous because forces are absorbed by the human body from the side. Because of this, the risk of injury is greatly increased in a side impact collision.

There were over 87,000 car accidents in Missouri in 2006 and about 25,000 of them were side impact. These accidents produced nearly 12,000 serious injuries and about 250 deaths. It is the second most common type of accident but it produced 50 more deaths than head on and rear end collisions combined.

Only in the last decade has the automotive industry begun to aggressively research safety devices for side impacts.Prior to that, most safety devices were designed to protect drivers from front impact collisions.The main types of safety features offered so far are side curtain airbags. However, side airbags are not yet standard equipment in cars and trucks.

Aside from the limits of safety features, there is also simply less machinery between the passenger and the source of the impact. The front and rear of most vehicles have crumple zones that absorb energy in a crash. However, the side of a car or truck offers very little protection against impact and penetration into the passenger cabin.

These factors make side collisions more likely to result in fatality than either front or rear end car crashes. Most vehicle fatalities occur because of brain or head injury from impact with the side of the car or another object that breaches the cabin.This is especially likely in car accidents involving vehicles of unequal size. Often, the bumper of a larger vehicle will be much higher than other cars.

If you are involved in such a crash, you will need a lawyer who has significant experience in side impact collisions to examine the case.

Contact Our Car Accident Law Firm For Help Today

For more information, please contact Bradley Law Personal Injury Lawyers at your nearest location to schedule a free case evaluation today.

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