What Are the Different Types of Car Accidents?

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What Are the Different Types of Car Accidents?
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There are several different types of car accidents and any of them can be serious or fatal. It should always be a priority to drive safely and avoid any accidents if possible.

This will be easier for you to do when you understand the various forms of crashes and what causes them. Certain behaviors or situations can make an accident more likely and this is when you need to be particularly safe. 

It's a great idea to consider getting legal advice after a car accident to see if you are eligible for compensation for your suffering. This can help ease the burden following a devastating accident and will make moving forward a little easier.

We'll briefly analyze the five most common types of accidents below so that you can become better informed.

Head-On Crash

One of the worst forms of car accidents is the head-on crash.

This is when two vehicles collide, both driving in opposing directions toward each other. In other words, the front of two cars hit each other.

This type of crash is particularly deadly because it involves the full force and velocity of both vehicles. When they hit, the effect is devastating and can easily cause a fatality.

Head-on crashes typically occur when there is a stretch of road with multiple lanes going in opposite directions. Picture a road going north and south with both lanes right next to each other.

If a driver gets distracted or needs to swerve, they can quickly hit a car coming straight toward them.

Rear-End Collision

Rear-end collisions are often less serious than a head-on crash, but they can still cause long-lasting effects. 

This involves a situation where one car hits another vehicle in front of it. In this crash, the front of one vehicle will slam into the back of another car.

Generally speaking, this accident tends to be worse for the person who is rear-ended. Often, a vehicle is rear-ended while they are stopped, which means that all the force from a moving car is transferred to them. This can cause effects like whiplash and serious spinal injuries. 

Rear-end collisions usually happen in two circumstances. The first is being stopped at a red light. A driver behind you might be distracted and won't stop in time to avoid hitting you.

The other situation is when you need to brake suddenly. A driver may not have time to react and can unintentionally rear-end your car. 

T-Bone Wreck

Another wreck similar in severity to the head-on collision is a T-Bone accident.

This crash involves one car slamming into the side of another vehicle. When this occurs, a T shape is created from the two involved cars. 

T-Bones are especially dangerous because it involves the full force of a vehicle hitting a vulnerable area of another car. It makes it much easier to cause serious injury because there is less car body to protect a driver or their passengers.

There are two main reasons for a T-Bone accident. The first is someone running a red light and hitting a car crossing an intersection during their green light. The other is pulling out into an intersection and getting hit by a car that you can't see coming.

Both are quite serious and can easily cause a fatality. 

Sideswipe Accident

A fairly minor form of crash is a sideswipe accident.

Compared to the car wrecks mentioned above, this type of crash is much less serious unless it causes a driver to lose control of their vehicle.

In a sideswipe crash, two cars that are traveling in the same direction but different lanes will drift into each other. This is typically a gradual process and results in minor damage to the side of either car.

This type of accident mainly happens with narrow lanes or distraction. Many lanes are quite slim and this doesn't leave a margin for error. As a result, it's easy for a car to drive outside of their lane and hit the car in the lane next to them. 

Sideswipes are particularly bad if this happens on the freeway. The high speed involved can cause a car to spin out of control and potentially hit another vehicle or freeway barrier.

Rollover

The last type of accident we'll cover is the rollover crash

A rollover is what happens when a car physically tips over and begins to roll. As you can imagine, this type of crash is quite serious because vehicles are never meant to be on anything other than their wheels. 

If a driver isn't wearing a seatbelt, they can be flung from their car or can violently slam into the interior. Even with a seatbelt, the impact of rolling over can crush them or cause serious injury.

Rollovers typically happen with trying to turn at high speeds. Whether a vehicle takes a corner too quickly or if they need to quickly swerve to avoid something, this sharp momentum shift can cause their vehicle to flip and roll. 

Closing Thoughts

There are numerous types of car accidents and none of them should be taken lightly. Some accidents are extremely serious and often deadly while others are fairly minor yet still aggravating to deal with. 

The five accidents we covered above include the head-on crash, rear-end collision, T-Bone wreck, sideswipe accident, and rollover. Head-ons, T-Bones, and rollovers are far more dangerous, while rear-ends and sideswipes tend to be manageable.

Remember to always drive safely and keep your eyes on the road to prevent any of these accidents from happening to you! 

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