Vehicle Accidents - Minor Collisions
Per the annual Crash Stats Report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the United States saw 35,092 fatalities from motor vehicle crashes in the year 2015—a whopping 7.2% increase from the previous year. Thankfully, only a small percentage of motor vehicle accidents result in fatalities. Some types of accidents have higher injury and fatality rates than others. Accidents may be categorized as:
- Minor collisions
- Head on collision
- Side impact and T-bone collisions
- Parking lot accidents
- Multiple vehicle accidents
- Hit and run accidents
- Rear end collisions
- Pedestrian hit by car collision.
Here we will take a moment to consider minor collisions, which comprise “fender-benders” and/or “non-injury” accidents. The term “fender-bender” rather unsurprisingly describes an accident in which minimal property damage is incurred. “Non-injury” accidents are those in which minimal to no injuries were sustained. A collision may be considered minor whether it involves two cars colliding with each other or a single car colliding with a guardrail, mailbox, lamppost, etc.
Minor car-on-car collisions happen at low speeds and result in minimal damage. A number of factors may contribute to minor car-on-car collisions, including:
- Backing out of a driveway or crowded parking area,
- Vehicle equipment failure, e.g. being unable to stop due to failed brakes,
- Failure to control the vehicle due to bad weather conditions,
- Driving unnecessarily fast in a parking lot,
- Driving distracted while adjusting the radio or using a cellphone,
- Multiple-vehicle accidents causing a pile-up,
- Tailgating in slow or sporadically moving traffic,
- Nodding off to sleep while stuck in rush hour or slow-moving traffic.
Single-car collisions primarily occur when a driver fails to notice obstructions near or around the vehicle. The most common single-car collisions involve drivers backing into objects such as low poles or high curbs. Though a single-car collision eliminates a second driver as a factor, there may still be questions of fault depending on the situation.
If you’ve been involved in either a car-on-car collision or a single-car collision, it’s advisable to keep the following guidelines in mind:
- Stay calm, and DO NOT apologize or claim responsibility for the accident. Apologizing can be taken as an admission of guilt, which insurance companies will use to lower your claim. There are other ways to be polite and cooperative after an accident.
- Check yourself and any other involved parties for injuries.
- If a car-on-car collision, exchange insurance information with the other driver.
- Take photos or video of the accident site to submit as evidence when filing a claim with the insurance company.
- If any witnesses were in the vicinity, ask for their contact information. The insurance company, police, and/or your lawyer may want statements from them.
- Contact your lawyer.
- Contact your insurance company.
Common injuries which may place your accident in the collisions “non-injury” collisions category include minor cuts and bruises, whiplash, and swollen muscles, tendons, or ligaments.
If you’ve been involved in an accident in Anchorage, Alaska, a vehicle accident injury lawyer can help fight for your rights and obtain the compensation you deserve. Contact an experienced lawyer right away for advice and to discuss your options.
If you are involved in an accident in Alaska, get a personal injury lawyer in Anchorage .The author of this article recommends Crowson Law Group.
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