Car accidents can lead to serious injuries and other complications for drivers and passengers. Injured car accident victims may need to go to the hospital, attend medical visits, undergo medical procedures or surgeries, and attend physical therapy sessions for a long time. Medical treatment can hurt and result in additional side effects and inconvenience.
The injuries that a car accident victim may suffer will usually depend on how the accident happened. The force of an impact can cause an accident victim’s body to move around and about the vehicle’s interior violently—or even strike something in the vehicle.
If you suffered injuries in a car accident that resulted from another driver’s negligence, you should always seek a knowledgeable car accident lawyer to represent you as soon as possible. Your lawyer can begin handling the legal aspects of your car accident claim, including exploring your rights under the Alberta Minor Injury Regulation (MIR) law, the Alberta Insurance Act, and Alberta Standard Automobile Policy, as well as possible section B benefits. This all can happen while you focus your attention on getting better and fully recovering from your accident-related injuries.
For example, your lawyer can begin to gather up all of your records, bills, and other important documentation, and can negotiate with the at-fault driver’s insurance company for you. If the insurance company refuses to compensate you fairly for your injuries, your lawyer can file a lawsuit in the court system and pursue the monetary recovery you deserve.
Rear-end Motor Vehicle Collisions
Many motor vehicle collisions are rear-end accidents. These accidents happen when the front of one vehicle collides with the back of another vehicle. The force of a rear-end accident might cause a driver or passenger’s body to move forward and backward in the vehicle abruptly, resulting in one or more soft tissue injuries.
Soft tissue injuries are muscular sprains, strains whiplash injuries. In addition, the force associated with a rear-end impact might cause a part of the accident victim’s body to strike something in the vehicle, such as the door frame, headrest, steering wheel, or window, resulting in a serious head injury.
Rear-end accidents typically happen when another driver is speeding or fails to pay attention to the road. The at-fault driver might also be operating their vehicle too fast for the weather conditions, which may be slippery or hazardous, bringing about a forceful rear-end impact.
T-bone Accidents
A T-bone accident occurs when the front of one vehicle strikes the side of another vehicle. These accidents commonly happen at traffic intersections, where one driver runs a red or yellow traffic light or stop sign, negligently causing their vehicle to strike an oncoming vehicle in the opposite direction. Sometimes, T-bone accidents occur with such force that a vehicle spins around or overturns in the middle of the intersection. These accidents can result in extremely serious injuries and fatalities.
Head-on Impacts
Yet another type of car accident that may occur on the road is a head-on collision. A head-on collision happens when the front of one motor vehicle collides with the front of another vehicle moving in the opposite direction. These accidents are especially common on dual-lane roadways and highways, where one travel lane goes in each direction.
These accidents can even occur when a median strip or concrete barrier divides the travel lanes. For example, a distracted or intoxicated driver might negligently cause their vehicle to veer over the centerline or median strip, striking an oncoming vehicle head-on.
Because many head-on collisions occur with a significant amount of force, they are the most likely to lead to fatalities while on the road.
Sideswipe Collisions
A sideswipe collision occurs when the side of one vehicle strikes the side of another, usually when they are moving in the same direction. The force of the impact from the at-fault vehicle might force the other one off the road or into another travel lane. These accidents sometimes happen on busy, multi-lane interstate highways and can involve numerous vehicles.
Parking Lot Collisions
Other motor vehicle accidents happen in parking lots and parking garages. The motor vehicle driver, for example, might not be looking into their rearview or side-view mirrors when backing up. Consequently, they might negligently cause their vehicle to back into another vehicle or a pedestrian directly behind them.
Similarly, a distracted motor vehicle driver might pay attention to a cell phone or another electronic device instead of the area around them. Although these accidents typically occur at lower speeds than car crashes on busy interstate highways, accident victims can still suffer extremely serious injuries. This is especially true if the accident victim is walking in a parking lot or garage.
Car Accident Injuries
Victims of car accidents can suffer debilitating, permanent injuries. Depending on how the accident victim’s body moves in the car at the time of impact, the injuries they suffer might need medical treatments.
Some of the most common personal injuries suffered in car accidents include soft tissue injuries (especially those that affect the neck and back), traumatic brain and head injuries, broken bones, internal injuries, and spinal cord injuries. Some motor vehicle accidents, especially head-on collisions, can result in fatalities.
Regardless of the type of car accident, car accident victims should seek medical treatment. This is true especially if the accident victim doesn’t know the severity of their injuries. When even a minor injury goes untreated, it can develop into a much more serious and debilitating injury.
A healthcare provider at a hospital emergency room or a local urgent care center can assess your medical condition firsthand. The doctor or nurse on duty can take the necessary brain scans, MRIs, and X-rays to determine the severity of your injuries.
Moreover, if you require emergency medical assistance, they can provide the treatment right there at the hospital. Finally, the healthcare provider can recommend follow-up medical treatment and care. For example, if you suffered a broken bone in your car accident, you will likely need to follow up with an orthopedic doctor, as well as a physical therapist, for your injuries.
A knowledgeable car accident lawyer in your area can begin handling the legal aspects of your case, taking the pressure off you while you focus your attention on getting better and making a full recovery.
Common Causes of Car Accidents
Most car accidents occur because of driver negligence. Negligence essentially means operating a vehicle unreasonably under the circumstances. Most of the time, drivers cause accidents when they violate the rules of the road and engage in careless or reckless driving maneuvers.
For example, many drivers cause serious crashes when they fail to yield the right-of-way to other vehicles at the appropriate times. Motor vehicle operators are also negligent when they speed, tailgate other vehicles, and carelessly weave in and out of heavy traffic without using a turn signal.
Another common cause of car accidents is distracted driving. Distracted motor vehicle operation means failing to give sufficient time, care, and attention to the roadway. This often happens when a driver is roughhousing with others in their vehicle, listening to loud music, programming a GPS system, or attempting to make phone calls or send text messages while operating their vehicle.
Finally, many motor vehicle crashes happen because of intoxicated driving. Some may have only had a small amount to drink and think they can safely drive. In many cases, this is not true. Alcohol in particular significantly affects a driver’s ability to operate a vehicle safely. The driver might also experience blurred vision and delayed reaction time, preventing them from stopping their vehicle promptly to avoid hitting a pedestrian or another car.
In some cases, the cause of a motor vehicle crash is clear, but at other times, it is uncertain. In a car accident case, the accident victim needs to prove that the other driver behaved unreasonably under the circumstances and that the accident occurred as a result.
Moreover, the accident victim must show that they suffered at least one injury in the accident. An experienced car accident lawyer can help you satisfy your legal burden and prove that you are entitled to recover monetary compensation and damages.
Steps to Take after a Car Accident
After you suffer injuries in a car accident, always dial 9-1-1 and summon emergency services to the accident scene. When the police officer and ambulance personnel arrive, describe your symptoms and any pain that you feel at that time. Next, you should speak with all of the other involved drivers in the car crash and obtain contact and insurance information for them.
In addition to speaking with the responding police officer, paramedics, and the other driver, you should take photographs of the property damage to your vehicle and the other vehicles—and take photographs of the vehicle positions. If you sustained any visible injuries in the car accident, such as a bruise from the seatbelt or airbag deployment, open cut, or laceration, take pictures of those injuries as well.
Next, you should be sure to seek follow-up medical care as soon as possible after your accident. Preferably, you should go in the ambulance and get checked out at the local hospital. Finally, you should contact a car accident personal injury lawyer as soon as possible to begin handling the legal aspects of your potential claim.
Your lawyer can assist you with filing a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company and negotiating a favourable settlement offer. If the insurance company refuses to offer you monetary compensation that fully and fairly compensates you for your injuries, you will have the option to litigate your case in court. Your car accident personal injury lawyer can represent you throughout the litigation and can advocate for you at all court hearings and trials.
Potential Damages in Car Accident Cases
Victims of car crashes who can satisfy the legal elements of their claim can pursue damages. The damages that an accident victim can recover will depend on the severity of the personal injuries, the type of medical treatment rendered, and whether or not they suffered a permanent Injury in their accident.
Accident victims can recover compensation for their out-of-pocket expenses and lost earnings. In addition, they can pursue non-economic damages, including compensation for mental distress, emotional anguish, pain and suffering, inconvenience, loss of quality of life, and loss of the ability to use a body part.
In car crash cases, you need a knowledgeable lawyer representing you at all times. Your lawyer can help to prove that you are entitled to damages and can retain the necessary medical experts to support your claim. Your lawyer will do everything possible to maximize the compensation that you receive in your car accident personal injury case and will advocate for you every step of the way.
Never wait to let us begin protecting your rights and interests following a car accident and related injuries. Our legal team is ready to help, so please set up your free case evaluation today. We can review what happened and advise you of our legal services. If you have a claim, we can begin working on your case right away.
