Sideswipe crashes are common. If you’ve driven enough, you’ve likely seen a sideswipe crash or you’ve been involved in one. Sideswipe collisions may not seem as dangerous as typical motor vehicle accidents but they can still lead to serious injury, property damage, and, in extreme circumstances, wrongful death. A sideswipe crash can happen when two cars’ sides collide while moving in the same or the opposite direction. Frequently, a contributing factor is one car is in the other car’s “blind spot.” This positioning may prevent the other driver from seeing the one approaching from the side. Sideswipe collisions are sometimes referred to as “blind spot accidents.”
Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), suggests sideswipe collisions account for less than 3% of fatal car accidents in the United States in 2020. Sideswipe crashes can be deadly, especially when they occur on an interstate highway because they may cause the drivers to rapidly adjust the steering wheel or pull away from the other vehicle. This leads the driver to lose control of the vehicle, triggering an accident. Sideswipe collisions on the interstate often snowball into rear-end collisions or multi-car accidents.
There are several factors that lead to side-swipe collisions. Negligent driving is the main contributor. Sideswipe collisions have a number of common causes, including:
- Distracted driving: Far too many accidents are caused by distracted driving. These drivers trigger sideswipe collisions by texting, talking on the phone, chatting with passengers, or fiddling with the infotainment system.
- Speeding: Speeding may cause a driver to lose control of their vehicle, reduce driver reaction time and lead to a sideswipe collision.
- Not yielding: Failing to yield and getting into another lane is a common cause of sideswipe accidents.
- Reckless driving: Reckless driving is a negligent action that can cause sideswipe collisions. Frequent lane changes and driving aggressively are ways that reckless driving can cause a sideswipe collision.
- Driving under the influence (DUI): Driving while intoxicated may make it difficult for drivers to respond appropriately and see the road ahead of them, which might lead them to switch lanes without looking or inadvertently drift into other lanes.
Injuries from a sideswipe collision are typically dependent on the size of the vehicles involved and the location of impact. Passengers of a passenger vehicle are more likely to sustain serious injuries if a truck sideswipes a small car because of the disparity in size and weight. Additionally, the lack of airbags or other safety equipment on the sides of cars may be a contributing to the severity of injuries from sideswipe collisions. There are few safety elements on a car’s sides, that increase occupant protection and stop injuries. In a head-on collision, the engine and airbags help cushion the blow; in a rear-end collision, the trunk serves as a shield between the passengers and the car coming at them from behind.
We represent people who are injured because of the careless and reckless acts of others. At the end of the day your case can only be settled one time and you need to know all of the facts beforehand. The reason that insurance companies have paid our clients in excess of $130,000,000.00 is that we get the facts and are not intimidated at the prospect of going to trial when insurance companies fail to offer full compensation. A Sacramento car accident attorney can help with serious injuries that require serious representation. We are the Law Offices of Guenard & Bozarth, LLP. Our attorneys have more than 60 years of experience specializing in only representing injured people. Call GB Legal 24/7/365 at 888-809-1075 or contact Guenard & Bozarth online. We would be honored to represent you!
