Side-Impact Collision

Craig is stopped at a red light waiting for it to turn green. He has had a good day today, a new accomplishment at work and lunch with an old friend. He is looking forward to continuing his evening with his family.

The light turns green and Craig accelerates through the intersection. He is about halfway through when out of the corner of his eye he sees a black blur of an object moving quickly towards him. A moment later, Craig can’t hear or see anything but blur and noise. He notices he is traveling in a sideways direction and can feel pressure all around him.

He travels for what seems a lifetime and finally comes to a stop. The pressure remains and when his vision clears, he sees that he is surrounded by airbags. Glass shards cover his clothes and cut his skin, leaving a mess of red everywhere. His head throbs and he finds himself extremely disoriented.

Craig reaches for the driver door to try and get out of his vehicle, but it is completely smashed in, with a black car pressed against it. The blur of black, he notes. Craig feels light-headed and suddenly seems like he can’t hold his head up. Sirens wail in the distance as he lapses into a dream-like state.

In a car crash, side collisions occur when the side of one or more vehicles is hit by another car. 

Due to a lack of space allotted to absorb the force of the other car and protect the car passenger, these car accidents can often times be deadly.  Statistics show that side-impact car accidents make up 27% of all vehicle occupant deaths in the United States. One out of four auto accident mortalities in the United States is owed to a side impact collision.

The main occurrence of side impact car crashes happen in: intersections, parking lots, when two vehicles pass on a multi-lane road, and when a vehicle hits a stationary object. The most common form of side-impact auto accident is the broadside, or T-bone collision. A T-bone car accident occurs when a vehicle’s front smashes into the side of another car. A prime example of this is the example above, when the driver of one vehicle fails to stop for a red light or a stop sign and crashes into the side of another vehicle.

There any number of mishaps that can lead to a side impact collision but some of the most common occurrences are listed below:

• A D.U.I. of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Texting and other instances of distracted driving
• Negligent and Careless Drivers
• Failure to stop at a stop sign or red light
• Racing through a yellow light
• Neglecting to follow traffic signs

The focus of auto safety engineers has long been front and rear end collisions. A woefully small percentage of research has been conducted on side impact safety features and thusly, these types of accidents are often deadly or life changing. As is, sides of a vehicle do not absorb impacts well.

The most common injuries from side impact collisions include:

• Spinal Cord Injury
• Head Trauma
• Brain Injury
• Internal Organ Damage
• Neck and Back Injury
• Cuts and Bruises
• Burns
• Death

In a side impact collision, there is often serious property damage to the car and severe injuries to the driver and the car's passengers. As with all car accident lawsuits, one of the most important keys in winning a side collision car accident case will be the ability to prove negligence and that such negligence resulted in the sustained damage and injuries.   

In the case of Wong v. Tom, San Mateo County Superior Court, a drunk driver, Richard Tom, T-boned the family of Lorraine Wong, killing an eight year old girl. The Wong’s were rewarded $7,363,761.

If you have been injured in a side impact collision, please call Sacramento car accident lawyer, Moseley Collins. You will want someone with knowledge, expertise, and compassion that will be able to answer all of your questions. We will review your case with you and let you know what the next steps should be. We provide a free consultation and there is never a fee unless we win. Call us today, and let us help you win your case.

Moseley Collins

980 9th St, 16th Floor

Sacramento, CA 95814 

Phone: (916) 444-4444