New Carrollton Car Accidents
Car accidents happen when you least expect it, whether you are on a busy highway, a quiet residential street, or in a parking lot. High-speed accidents tend to cause extensive property damage and serious injuries, but a minor fender bender can also cause victims to suffer injuries, like whiplash. Even the most responsible drivers can get into car accidents because they cannot control other people’s behavior or unpredictable weather conditions. Knowing what to do after a car accident can help keep the situation under control until help arrives.
Common Types of Car Accidents
The type and severity of a car accident often depends on several factors. The following are examples of the most common types of car accidents that occur:
- Rear-End Collision: These are usually caused by a driver who is tailgating or not paying attention to the road ahead. Whiplash is a very common injury in rear-end collisions.
- Single-Vehicle Accident: This type of accident involves one driver who loses control of the vehicle due to road conditions, animals crossing the street, debris in the road, or other unpredictable conditions. Depending on how fast the car was travelling, injuries from a single-vehicle accident can be quite serious.
- Side-Impact Collision: Also known as broadside or T-bone collisions, these occur when the side of one vehicle is hit by another car. These often occur at intersections when a driver fails to yield to oncoming traffic.
- Vehicle Rollovers: These tend to be much more serious in nature and can result in severe, life-threatening injuries. SUVs are more susceptible to rollovers due to their high center of gravity, but other factors, like road conditions and how fast the motorist is driving, can cause rollovers as well. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, close to 85 percent of all rollover fatalities are the result of single-vehicle crashes.
- Head-On Collisions: Among the most devastating types of car accidents, these occur when the front ends of two vehicles crash into each other, usually at high speeds. Injuries include head and neck injuries, spinal cord injuries, and broken bones.
Injuries Caused by Car Accidents
The severity of a car accident injury often depends on several factors, including how fast the vehicles involved were traveling. The following are common types of car accident injuries:
- Cuts and lacerations
- Broken bones
- Head and brain injuries
- Neck and back injuries
- Spinal injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
- Burn injuries
Important Steps to Take Following a Car Accident
Car accidents can be extremely stressful and upsetting, particularly when there are serious injuries involved. Try to remain calm and level-headed. By remembering the following steps, you can prevent the situation from becoming worse.
- Move to a safe area. If you are physically able, move your car out of harm’s way. If there is no shoulder, drive to the nearest parking lot or other safe space. If you cannot move your car, turn on the hazards to warn oncoming traffic that your vehicle is unable to move.
- Check on the other drivers involved. Once you have turned off your vehicle, take a moment to check yourself for injuries, make sure you can safely get out of the car, and see if the occupants of the other vehicles involved have been injured. Call 911 if there are any injuries, even if they seem relatively minor.
- Report the accident: Even minor accidents must be reported so that a police report can be filed. You will need to provide a copy of the police report to your insurance company. Never leave the scene of an accident before police arrive.
- Share information. You will need to exchange driver’s license numbers, license plate numbers, insurance information, and contact information with the other driver involved.
- Collect evidence. Take pictures of the scene, including locations of the accident, the vehicles involved, skid marks on the road, and road conditions.
- File a claim. Contact your insurance agent so that you can begin the claims process.
New Carrollton Car Accident Lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton Seek Compensation for Victims of Car Accidents
If you have been injured in a car accident, contact the New Carrollton car accident lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton. Whether your accident was minor or severe, we will secure the maximum financial compensation you deserve for your injuries. Protecting your rights is our top priority. For a free consultation, call us today at 800-547-4LAW (4529) or contact us online.
Our offices are located in Baltimore, Columbia, Glen Burnie, and Towson, allowing us to represent injured victims in Maryland, including those in Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Harford County, Howard County, Montgomery County, Maryland’s Western Counties, Prince George’s County, Queen Anne’s County, Southern Maryland, and the Eastern Shore, as well as the communities of Catonsville, Essex, Halethorpe, Middle River, Rosedale, Gwynn Oak, Brooklandville, Dundalk, Pikesville, Nottingham, Windsor Mill, Lutherville, Timonium, Sparrows Point, Ridgewood, and Elkridge.