Side impact collisions are another deadly Mission Viejo car accident. As our car accident lawyer can attest to, either driver can be at fault in this kind of accident. If you are broadsided while crossing an intersection on a green light because the other driver was running a red light, then the other driver is at fault. If you are broadsided because you ran a red light then you are at fault.
Car Accident Lawyer | Why Side Impact Collisions are so Dangerous
There is a lot of distance between the passenger compartment and both front and rear bumpers. This distance means more of the car crumples and therefore absorbs a great deal of the energy of the collision. Both the front and rear bumpers are also designed to absorb energy. This bumper design as well as the front and back crumple zones protect the passengers from most of the impact energy. Unfortunately, in side impact collisions, there is nothing that helps to protect the person in the car.
How Side Impact Collisions Occur
Intersections
Side collisions frequently occur at three and four-way intersections. There are a number of illegal driving habits that cause this type of accident. Many drivers habitually roll through stop signs which allows insufficient time to properly assess the traffic situation. Rolling through stop signs is especially dangerous during slippery road conditions. Especially if the oncoming traffic has insufficient braking distance to avoid a collision.
Another common habit is racing through a yellow light when there is not enough time to get through the intersection. Because the driver is accelerating hard to clear the intersection, collisions can happen at very high speeds. Inattention or gross disregard for the law will cause some motorists to simply run through stop signs and red lights.
Driveways
Backing a car out into a road exposes the driver to side collisions because it is more difficult to see traffic conditions when driving in reverse. The maneuver also takes longer to execute which increases exposure time to oncoming traffic. Adverse weather conditions such as a storm or fog will increase the hazard. Side collisions are also more likely to occur when the driveway is hard to see from the roadway such as being near a sharp turn or the crest of a hill.
Determining Fault
If one of the drivers violates the law such as running a stop sign or red light or failing to yield when entering a highway, then he or she is at fault. Acts of negligence that led to the accident such as not looking both ways at a stop sign before pulling into an intersection are sufficient grounds for finding a driver at fault.
If you have been in an accident involving a side impact collision, contact us at Silverthorne Attorneys for a free consultation about whether you are entitled to compensation.
