Car Accident Lawyer Describes 5 Common Causes of Side Impact Collisions

The side impact collision, also called the T-bone accident, is one of the most deadly types of accidents explains NYC car accident lawyer at Frekhtman & Associates. If the collision occurs at a side door, the door offers the driver or passenger little in the way of protection. Unlike the front or rear of the car, it has little structural strength to resist high impact forces. It also lacks a lengthy crumple zone to absorb energy.

Because the side impact occurs at right angles to the victim’s direction of travel, he or she is often unaware of its impending occurrence until it’s too late. This means the driver rarely gets the chance to mitigate the collision by taking evasive action.

Causes of the side impact collisions in New York City include:

Failure to yield the right of way. When the victim fails to yield the right of way at a stop or yield sign, he may cross in front of and get hit by a car coming from the side. Alternatively, when the victim has the right of way, he can be hit by a car that fails to yield.

Running a red light. When the victim runs a red light, he risks getting T-boned by cross traffic. On the other hand, when the victim drives through a green light, a car running a red light at the same intersection can strike him on the side.

Distracted driving. A distracted driver can either drive in front of cross traffic and get struck, or collide into the side of a car in front of him. This distraction can occur either because the driver wasn’t looking, or failed to mentally focus on his driving.

Driving too fast. Exceeding the speed limit or driving too fast for the road conditions increases a car’s stopping distance. This may prevent the car from stopping in time to avoid hitting another car on the side, or getting hit on the side by cross traffic.

Backing out of a driveway. It’s harder to see cross traffic when backing out of a driveway onto a busy road. In addition, the maneuver takes longer to complete than when pulling out while driving forward. These factors increase the risk of a side impact collision. To prevent this, the driver should do a three-point turn in his driveway so that he can exit while moving forward.

If another driver’s negligence or recklessness injured you in an accident, a car accident lawyer may be able to help. For a free consultation, contact us.