Everyone who drives has either seen, or been a part of a car accident in their travels. Maybe you’ve seen some people stranded on the side of the road – or you’ve been redirected from a road because it was blocked by some sort of crash. Regardless, car crashes can be inconvenient for everyone involved. And while they can all seem similar at first, but according to Jason Baril, a car accident lawyer in Tennessee, “Car accidents may seem – at face value – all the same. But not only are there all sorts of ways to get into an accident, there’s a big difference between the types. Knowing the basic difference between the different types of accidents will help you know what steps to take after you’ve been in one – legal, or otherwise.”
So whatever the cause of the accident, everyone should be informed about the different types, and their possible consequences.
Rear Ended
One of the most common accidents is rear ending. This is where one car hits the rear bumper of the car in front of them – typically because of unexpected braking on the part of the front car. Usually, the fault for these accidents is on the part of the inattentive driver who hit the car in front of them.
Side Impact Collision
Also called a T-Bone, these collisions happen when one car strikes the side of another vehicle head on. These can happen at various types of intersections – usually when one car ignores regulations, such as stop signs or traffic lights.
Rollover
These car accidents can be more serious than others, as they can cause the driver and passengers injuries when the car turns on its side or on its head. These can be caused by a multitude of things – anything from taking a turn too fast – which would only affect one car – to hitting other cars, and involving other drivers.
Side-Swipe
These accidents are very common on highways, or any sort of street that has more than one lane running next to each other. Most side-swipe accidents are caused by drivers not checking their blind spot before trying to change lanes, which results in the two cars hitting each other in the side. These accidents – like really any type of accident – can vary in severity, damage, and injuries caused.
Head-On Collision
Often the more severe accidents are head-on collisions. These, as the name implies, are collisions where two cars run straight into each other directly. These can happen when cars try to pass another car in a lane of traffic going the opposite direction. They’re also caused by inattentive drivers swerving into oncoming traffic.