Auto accidents involving a rear-end collision are the most common type of motor vehicle accidents. A rear-end collision results when a driver fails to stop in time and collides with the vehicle in front of them. In many cases this causes a chain reaction of multiple collisions that was resultant from one vehicle striking another in the rear which propelled it into the vehicle in front of them.
There are many causes and circumstances that lead to rear-end collisions. The severity can be range from minor injuries to life threatening. Usually, inattentiveness is the main reason to cause a motorist to not stop in time to avoid the collision. The driver also may have become distracted due to texting, talking on the phone, playing on their phone, or messing with the dash components. The speed of the vehicle is also a major factor in rear-end collisions. The driver might not have realized the rate that traffic was slowing or misjudged their necessary stopping distance. In either case a rear-end collision is highly likely to occur. Following too closely or tail-gaiting also causes a substantial amount of collisions. Weather is also a factor in regards to the prevalence of rear-end collisions. If the roads are icy or snowy then all vehicles will have less traction and the probability of auto accidents goes up immensely.
Factors
There are many factors that need to be addressed in a rear end collision and need to be documented:
- both types of vehicles and vehicle weights
- presence of a mounted brush guards on a vehicle’s front end
- presence of a towing hitch on the struck vehicle
- vehicle crush
- damaged frames
- type of head restraint
- height of occupant
- position of occupant
- gender and size of the occupant
- pre-existing conditions
- being in a stationary vehicle
- unpreparedness for impact
- multiple impact collisions
- point of impact and final resting position of vehicles
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration there are 2.5 million rear-end collisions each year. This equates to an average of one accident every 8 seconds on the US. The highest percentage of rear-end collisions are for drivers between the ages of 18-24. This trend is only rising as drivers utilize devices such as smart phones and other electronic equipment while driving. The NHTSA reports that drivers are four times more likely to have a serious accident when using a hand-held device while operating a motor vehicle.
Injuries
Many injuries can and do arise from rear-end collisions; even low speed impacts can cause significant damage to the occupant. Many research studies have proved this time and again, however insurance companies want to refute the research and deny your claim. Many times they will utilize the amount of damage done to your vehicle as an assessment of injury. These two are not directly related; for instance if you get rear-ended in a 2015 Ferrari the damage cost will be extremely high as compared to the damage cost of a 1998 Ford Tempo. Injuries can be wide ranging but the most common are:
- Soft tissue injuries (injuries to ligaments, tendons, and muscles)
- Neck Pain
- Disc Herniation
- Fractures
- Headaches
- Traumatic Brain Injuries
- Seat belt injuries
Although the issue of fault in rear-end collisions is not disputed in most cases, it can be disputed in certain cases. Insurance companies are often suspicious of injuries from any claim and this includes rear-end collisions. They will sometimes dispute the nature and extent of the injuries particularly “soft tissue injuries”. Many times their doctors state that your injuries aren’t consistent with the type of collision that you sustained but as one can see there are many variables that are listed above that greatly affect the outcome of any collision. Therefore it is important that you have experienced doctors on your team to assist you. Don’t wait any longer, Act Now!
Procrastination is something to avoid when you’ve sustained injuries in an auto accident. Many different types of injuries can and do occur in rear-end collision and it is vitally important to get these injuries treated and properly documented. Call us now to see if we can help, we offer free consultations to discuss your case and your injuries at no charge to you.
Don’t delay, the longer you wait, the more difficult it may be to recover from your injuries. Call us now at 303-758-9000 and we will be happy to answer your questions.