How Different Types of Accidents Affect Claims

How Different Types of Accidents Affect Claims

After a car accident, people become concerned that their auto insurance rates will increase significantly, but this is not always the case. Insurance companies will raise rates after a collision if the accident is a “chargeable” accident. A chargeable accident is one in which you were given more than 50% of the blame, and it resulted in property damages or bodily injuries, but this doesn’t have to mean that your rates will automatically increase. The following collisions are the most common collisions that don’t have to lead to a rate increase:

Rear-End Collisions

Victims receive all types of injuries in rear-end collisions. The traffic collision may have been minor, but it could still result in very serious injuries. For example, victims of rear-end collisions have sustained injuries to their spinal cords, their necks and had broken bones.

Rear-end collisions were thought to always be the fault of the person driving behind another vehicle, but this is not necessarily the case. Rear-end collisions sometimes occur because the motorist in front suddenly stops in moving traffic. The car in front also causes rear-end collisions by backing up without a good reason for doing so.

The rear-end collision is the fault of the driver in the rear position when he or she travels too closely behind the car in front. It also occurs because the motorist is distracted, impaired or drowsy.

You may not have been convicted of a moving traffic violation after a rear-end collision, and if this is the case, your accident will not be considered to be a chargeable accident.

Head-On Collisions

The most dangerous type of car accident is the head-on collision. Fortunately, this is one of the least common types of collisions. These crashes are so dangerous because the impact is intensified due to the fact that the vehicles are traveling in opposite directions. Because of this, the driver and passengers are more likely to experience serious injuries or death.

The common causes of head-on collisions are reckless driving, speeding, driver fatigue, driving under the influence and distracted driving. The most common injuries tend to be broken bones, internal organ damage, spinal cord damage and traumatic brain injuries.

Your head-on collision may not be a chargeable accident if the other motorist was convicted of a moving traffic violation while you were not.

Side-Impact Collisions

A side-impact collision is the most dangerous type of collision for people inside the vehicle. It occurs when one vehicle runs into the side of another vehicle and results in a “T” shape. This is so dangerous because the side of a vehicle has less protection for the passengers than the front or the back.

Side-impact collisions largely occur because motorists fail to obey traffic signals and signs, run through stop lights without stopping or fail to yield the right-of-way. Motorists also cause these collisions after they decide to drive recklessly, drive while impaired or drive while distracted.

Along with the reasons listed above, a side-impact collision will not be a chargeable accident if you were hit by a hit-and-run motorist.

Sideswipe Collisions

The sideswipe collision is particularly dangerous because, after the vehicles strike each other, both motorists have the potential to lose control of their vehicles and travel into the other lanes. Then, these vehicles may hit other vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians or other objects.

The sideswipe collision occurs when two vehicles are driving in the same direction, and one hits the side of the other. This happens when motorists fail to make sure that their blind spots are clear before they change lanes. It also happens when someone makes frequent lane changes.

Sideswipe collisions tend to cause the most severe injuries because there may be a second collision after the first. The most common injuries include traumatic brain injuries, head injuries, spinal cord damage, internal organ damage, broken bones and whiplash.

If the at-fault driver receives a court judgment against him or her, a sideswipe collision will not be a chargeable accident.

Multi-Vehicle Collisions

When collisions have three or more vehicles, they can cause catastrophic injuries. With more than one vehicle involved in a collision, you have the opportunity to file a personal injury claim against more than one person. This means that there will be more than one company to provide monetary compensation and a settlement for your injuries.

The people trapped inside a vehicle that is sandwiched in between two other vehicles are most likely to suffer the most serious injuries.

It can be particularly difficult to find the at-fault motorist in a multi-vehicle crash, and your insurance company may require that you demonstrate that you were not at fault. You can do this by submitting the police report if it states which motorist caused the collision. The at-fault driver’s insurance company may send a statement to your insurance company that admits that the other driver is at fault for the collision.

If the at-fault driver reimbursed you for the repairs to your vehicle, you would need to present a legal document stating this fact to your insurance company. Lastly, you may obtain a written statement from the at-fault driver in which the driver admits to being at fault in the collision. For these last two options, the best thing to do is hire a car accident attorney.

Rollover Accidents

Rollover accidents are the most likely accidents to cause serious injuries. The people inside the vehicle are being flipped during a rollover accident, so they have ample opportunity to sustain catastrophic injuries. During the rollover, the fuel can spill out of the vehicle, and this can cause fires to ignite. It can lead to burn injuries on top of the passengers’ other injuries and may even cause the vehicle to explode and cause fatalities.

Rollover accidents also cause the driver or the passenger to be ejected from the vehicle, and this leads to more serious injuries when they hit the ground.

Rollover crashes occur when a vehicle is forced off of the road, driving on the shoulder, driving while fatigued, driving while distracted, driving under the influence or speeding.

A rollover accident may not be a chargeable accident if your insurance company can collect at least 80% of your collision insurance claim from the at-fault driver’s insurance company.

Rollover Car Accidents

California Traffic Laws

According to California law, you must report a car collision if it results in injury or death or causes $750 in property damages. You have 10 days in which to do so. It’s not possible to hide a car collision from your insurance company because your agent reads your motor vehicle record or MVR when you apply for auto insurance, but this is not the only time. Every time you renew your auto insurance policy, your insurance agent will pull this report.

The MVR has all accidents that were reported to the state. In the event that the police responded to your accident, a law enforcement officer would have filed a report.

The Most Common Types of Car Accidents

The most common type of car collision is the front-end collision. The second most common type is the rear-end collision. This is according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In 2019, there were 2.8 million front-end collisions, and there were 1,570,000 rear-end collisions.

The Benefit of Hiring an Attorney

If you have been in a car accident, it is imperative that you hire a car accident attorney. An attorney gives you the best chance of receiving monetary compensation for an accident that wasn’t your fault. A car accident attorney will help you do the following:

Know Your Options

After a car accident, it’s difficult to know what to do next. This is the best reason for hiring a car accident attorney. A personal injury lawyer will inform you of all of your options. An attorney knows California law intimately, and this is definitely what you need at this time. Most importantly, you need to know what you should not do. Sometimes, the injured will try to negotiate with the at-fault driver’s insurance company on their own, and this never works out well for them. After you hire your own attorney, your lawyer will speak for you, and you can concentrate on healing.

Gather Evidence to Prove Your Innocence.

As was mentioned above, your insurance company is going to need evidence that you were not at fault in the traffic collision. You must demonstrate that the other driver was negligent, so your car accident attorney will hire an investigator to gather the necessary evidence. An attorney can also hire medical experts to discuss your injuries in the event that your case goes to court.

Keep from Settling Out of Desperation.

It is common practice for the at-fault side to offer something that does not come close to a fair settlement. People accept these offers because they may be out of work, and they need money to support their families. They also have a lot of bills to pay.

The first thing you must do before you speak to the at-fault party’s insurance company is hire your own personal injury attorney. Your personal injury attorney will make sure that the at-fault party cannot take advantage of you. With your own attorney speaking for you, you are much more likely to receive everything that you are entitled to receive.

Prove Your Losses.

In order to receive the compensation you deserve, you must prove that the at-fault party’s actions caused your injuries and losses. Your attorney will demonstrate that you suffered the following:

  • Past and future pain and suffering
  • Lost wages
  • Property damages
  • Past and present medical bills

It can be extremely difficult to place a monetary value on pain and suffering, but your personal injury attorney has the experience needed to do that.

Act Now or Risk Ending Up Empty-Handed
Don’t lose the legal window of opportunity. Get maximum compensation for your car accident injuries – and more importantly, don’t give the defendant’s lawyers time to prepare against you.
Contact the expert Los Angeles attorneys at JT Group now! It’s free and obligation-free.
FREE CASE EVALUATION