Personal Injury Blog

COMMON TYPES OF MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS IN NEW JERSEY

FIGHTING FOR MAXIMUM COMPENSATION FOR INJURED VICTIMS IN ALL TYPES OF NJ MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

A motor vehicle accident is an unfortunate event that will impact most of us at some point in our lives. Whether it is a “fender bender” or a more serious accident, motor vehicle accidents are disruptive, frustrating, and, in many cases, physically and emotionally devastating. At Leonard Legal Group, LLC, our New Jersey personal injury lawyers are prepared to represent you in your motor vehicle accident claim and help you obtain the compensation you deserve. We are experienced in all types of motor vehicle accidents and fight to protect your legal rights throughout every step of your claim.

THE TYPES OF MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

Generally, motor vehicle accidents are divided into four categories:

  • Crashes that occur at junctions
  • Accidents that are caused by drifting out of one’s lane

The bulk of motor vehicle accidents fall into these four categories, but other accidents, such as rollover accidents, are also common.

PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS

In 2015, more than 5,000 pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents. Another 129,000 pedestrians were treated for injuries the same year. Pedestrians are 1.5 times more likely to be killed in a motor vehicle accident as compared to passengers in the vehicle.

Interestingly, almost half of the accidents involving pedestrians involved alcohol—for either party.

Most accidents involving pedestrians occur at night. They are also more likely to occur in urban areas and at non-intersection spots.

DISTRACTED DRIVING ACCIDENTS

Distracted driving is quickly becoming more of an epidemic in the United States than drunk driving. The National Safety Council estimates there are nearly two million cell phone-related accidents every year with about 400,000 resulting injuries. In fact, nearly one in four accidents can now be attributed to distracted driving. At Leonard Legal Group, our New Jersey car accident attorneys take on distracted drivers, proving their negligence caused your injuries. We are tough on dangerous drivers and compassionate to the needs of injured victims.

COLLISIONS AT INTERSECTIONS

Some of the most frequent accidents occur at intersections. Rear-end collisions are especially common. In fact, one report estimated that almost half of all accidents are rear-end collisions. Rear-end collisions can cause a number of injuries, including whiplash.

T-bone collisions also frequently occur at intersections. Often, these accidents are fatal because a person is struck on the side, where there is less protection. Roughly half of all urban crashes and just under a third of all rural crashes occur at intersections. In rural areas, intersection accidents are more likely to result in serious injuries because drivers may be traveling at a higher rate of speed.

ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY LEAVING A LANE

Although head-on collisions make up only a small portion of all accidents, but they account for a large portion of motor vehicle accident deaths. Head-on collisions are one of the most serious types of lane departure accidents.

Single car accidents where one car runs off of the road are another type of lane departure accident. Losing control of a car and swerving to avoid an animal are contributors to these types of crashes.

HEAD-ON COLLISIONS

Head-on crashes typically occur when a driver crosses the highway median or travels the wrong way down an exit ramp or one-way street. These are among the most potentially deadly and devastating types of car crashes. Fortunately, fault is typically obvious in such crashes since only one driver was driving in the wrong direction.

On the other hand, since both cars are traveling toward each other, the impact force is magnified. Therefore, head-on crashes have an increased risk of causing more catastrophic injuries than other car accident types. Injuries resulting from head-on crashes may include internal organ damage, multiple bone fractures, spinal cord injuries, and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), among others.

REAR-END CRASHES

Rear-end crashes are very common. In such crashes, the rear driver is commonly found at fault because they failed to leave a sufficient stopping distance. This is also called tailgating. When a rear driver fails to maintain adequate space from the car it is following, they may lack the necessary space and time to brake and prevent a crash if the car in front brakes suddenly.

T-BONE COLLISIONS

T-bone crashes may occur when one car fails to yield the right-of-way to another car at an intersection. Also called right-angle, broadside, or side-impact collisions, T-bone collisions are very dangerous and usually result in severe injuries since the sides of the cars don’t have enough space to shield occupants and absorb the impact of a crash.

MULTIPLE VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

Some crashes on major roadways and highways may involve multiple cars when one car crashes into another car that sends the struck car into another car (and so on), creating a domino effect. These chain reaction crashes can range from minor to devastating, causing confusion, serious injuries, and deaths. They usually require extensive investigation to figure out which driver caused the accident. Making things more complicated is the possibility of multiple parties sharing fault for the accident.

SIDE SWIPE COLLISIONS

Whether you are on a freeway or country road, driving next to another car can sometimes be risky. If the other driver becomes distracted for some reason, they may drift off from their lane and head into your lane, causing anything from a negligible bump to a massive crash. Sideswipe collisions are dangerous because the impact can result in one of both cars losing control and careening into the other lanes or off the road. The cars can then crash into other vehicles, pedestrians, or objects on or near the roadway.

HIT AND RUN ACCIDENTS

Everyone granted a driver’s license in New Jersey is legally obligated to stop their cars after an accident to provide help to the injured party, give identification, and check for property damage and any injuries. All driver’s license holders must comply with these requirements. Those who do not comply can be criminally prosecuted and sued for damages by the injured party.

ROLLOVER ACCIDENTS

There are two types of rollover accidents: tripped, in which an object outside of the car causes the car to rollover, and untripped, where speeding or the driver’s steering cause the accident. The majority of rollover accidents occur when the car is sliding sideways and comes into contact with a curb or is otherwise stopped with sudden force.

If you were injured in an auto accident, contact our experienced New Jersey car accident attorneys today

At Leonard Legal Group, our New Jersey personal injury attorneys understand the dynamics involved in various types of motor vehicle accidents. We fight insurance companies to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve. To schedule your free consultation with our firm, call (973) 984-1414 or contact us online.