What are The Different Types of Car Accidents?

Last Update: 01/27/16

Here in South Florida, car accidents are more of a danger than other parts of the country because most everyone gets around by driving a car, truck, SUV, motorcycle or van (after all, Florida, the “Sunshine State”, enjoys such wonderful, sunny weather most of the year). Car accidents and other motor vehicle traffic collisions are a daily occurrence here in South Florida, as evidenced by the fact that the Miami area daily news usually contains a report about a horrific car accident or other  road collision.

Not all of these car accidents are the same, of course: some are tragic traffic fatalities, others may be mere fender benders that make the news because they’ve snarled up traffic on one of our major roadways or intersections. For purposes of insurance claims and damage compensation, knowing the different kinds of car accident collisions can be important for those who may have been involved in a car crash or auto accident here in South Florida.

Why? Because insurance carriers don’t view all auto accidents the same way. The approach of the insurance industry is to look for fault and place blame as soon as possible. The insurance industry studies collisions across the country for patterns in crash behavior. From these studies of road collisions, insurance companies know to first focus on things like (1) was the driver drunk? (2) did someone run a red light? (3) was any driver distracted or on a cell phone? (4) was someone speeding?

Common Types of Car Accidents and Road Collisions

Some kinds of car accidents and road collisions happen more often than others. Some of these types of collisions are more likely to result in death than others; for instance, in 2005, research showed that while head-on collisions do not happen all that often (2% of all crashes) they result in 10% of the country’s total traffic fatalities.

Here are some of the types of auto accidents that most often occur:

Head-On Collisions

Head-on collisions are often fatal car crashes where one or more people die as two vehicles collide or crash into each other, front end to front end. Drivers are at particular risk in these types of crashes because the force of the collision can push the engine itself into the car’s interior, crushing or pinning the front seat occupants inside.

Single-Vehicle Collisions

Single car accidents, where one car crashes (sedan, van, minivan, SUV, motorcycle, pickup), happen very often here in South Florida. These are auto accidents where a vehicle crashes into a telephone pole, a highway barrier, a tree, a privacy wall, a fence, or even a tree or the side of a building. Often these single car crashes result in big property damage claims as both the vehicle and the items struck have been damaged. Drivers can be seriously injured in single car accident collisions, too.

Intersection Collisions

Intersection collisions are accidents that happen two or more roadways meet, and there can be several vehicles involved in these kinds of collisions. In Florida, “pile-ups” at intersections (like at the notorious pembroke pines intersection) can happen on multi-lane roads as well as interstates and state freeways where speeds can be high and the intersection collision involves not only a car crash between two vehicles as the spark of the pile-up but often several more accidents as rear-end collisions and multi-vehicle collisions result when cars and trucks cannot avoid crashing into each other in a domino-effect from the initial intersection collision.

Collisions and Insurance Coverage

In Florida, car crashes and auto accidents can be caused by any number of things: drivers blinded by sunlight glaring from the water or chrome or hotel windows; speeding; drunk driving; road rage; street racing; and driver error or vehicle malfunction. Insurance companies will assess not only the injuries sustained by the people involved in the crash but the damages to property incurred during the accident and adjusters will also analyze the collision event itself as they determine whether or not to pay the claim and how much any claim settlement offer should be.

For many Florida road collisions, other complexities are involved, too. If there were big rig semi trucks involved in the collision, there may be special laws and rules placed upon the truck driver and the trucking company to be considered. If road hazards or weather conditions were a factor in the collision must be assessed as well.

Often times, it is difficult to determine the proper amount of damages that should be awarded in a Florida car accident road collision – accident victims should have a car accident lawyer that is experienced in assessing these collision situations not only from a legal perspective, but also from a mechanical, engineering, automotive, and even meteorological point of view to truly understand what happened to cause the road collision accident and what is the appropriate damage amount to be paid by an insurance company under the different types of policy or policies.

What Should You Do Now?

A good piece of advice if you have been harmed in a car accident, is to at least speak with an experienced personal injury lawyer before you file a claim to learn about some of the issues that can arise with these claims, including the type of evidence needed to prove a claim and the type and amount of damages you can recover. Most personal injury lawyers, like Alan Sackrin, will offer a free initial consultation (over the phone or in person) to answer your questions.

Related:

• Rear-End Collisions In Florida
• Federal Agency Traffic Research Reveals Motorcycle Deaths, Pedestrian Fatalities, Drunk Driving Deaths Rising for 3d Straight Year
• 3 Speed Related Conditions That Cause Car Accidents – Number 3 Is Surprising