Every accident is unique. Each crash occurs for a different reason, at a different place, and involves different people who suffer different injuries.
Yet, despite these differences, there are common ways in which vehicles collide.
Six Common Types of Collisions
Most motor vehicle accidents can placed in one of six categories, as follows:
- T-bone accidents: T-bone crashes are side impact collisions where the front of one car collides with the side of another car. In 2013, about 25 percent of motor vehicle accident deaths occurred in side impact crashes such as T-bone accidents. These crashes commonly occur at intersections where one vehicle fails to stop—despite a stop sign or traffic light—and collides with another vehicle that is traveling through the intersection.
- Rear-end crashes: A motor vehicle hitting the motor vehicle in front of it is one of the most common types of car accidents. Approximately 30 percent of car accidents in the United States are rear-end crashes. Driver distraction, inexperience, speeding, drinking, and other factors cause the driver in back to follow the driver in front too closely and fail to stop in time to prevent an accident.
- Head-on collisions: When the fronts of two vehicles collide, then a head-on collision has occurred. These crashes often happen when one vehicle crosses the center line of a road or is traveling the wrong way down a one-way highway or street. The results can be catastrophic, particularly if one or both vehicles are traveling at typical driving speeds.
- Rollover crashes: Rollover crashes may involve one or more vehicles. When a vehicle rolls onto its side or its roof, serious injuries or fatalities can occur. Only about two percent of traffic accidents in the United States involve rollover vehicles; however, more than one-third of all traffic-related deaths are due to rollover accidents.
- Pedestrian accidents: In 2013, twenty pedestrians died in Iowa traffic accidents and many more were hurt. Some common causes of pedestrian accidents include distraction, speeding, drinking and driving, weather conditions, aggressive drivers, and other forms of driver negligence or complicated driving conditions.
- Bicycle accidents: Iowa law allows bicyclists to use many of the same roads as drivers of motor vehicles. However, bicyclists who lack the protective metal and safety features of motor vehicles are at increased risk of injury in an accident.
Any of these accidents can result in serious injury or death.
What to Do If You’ve Been Hurt in Any Kind of Crash
The steps to follow after an Iowa car crash are the same regardless of which type of collision caused your accident injuries. Specifically, it is important to:
- Report the accident to the police.
- Get medical help and follow your doctor’s treatment plan.
- Keep accurate records of your injuries, your costs, and your pain.
- Contact an experienced car accident lawyer who can help you protect your rights and fight for your fair and just recovery.
To learn more about what to do after a car accident, please read our free report, The Ultimate Guide for Automobile Accident Victims, or start a live chat with us now.
