Types of Car Accidents

In 2014, car accidents were responsible for 32,675 deaths and over two million injuries in the United States alone. Car accidents can occur for a variety of reasons, from adverse weather conditions to drunk driving. If you’ve been injured in any type of motor vehicle accident, it’s in your best interest to contact a personal injury attorney immediately. When it comes to auto accidents, time is of the essence. Contact a Boston Car Accident Lawyer Today.

You don’t have to be driving your personal car or truck to be involved in a motor vehicle accident. In addition to personal vehicles, the attorneys at Altman & Altman, LLP represent victims of ATV accidents, recreational vehicle accidents, Uber accidents, SUV accidents, and taxi accidents.

Commonly used ATVs include dirt bikes, 3-wheelers, and 4-wheelers. ATVs can be exciting to operate, but they can also be extremely dangerous. These recreational vehicles can travel at speeds of up to 60 mph and may weigh up to 1,000 pounds. Since most ATV accidents involve high speeds and rollovers, many of these accidents result in serious injury or death. Furthermore, ATV accidents are not uncommon. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that over 150,000 people visit an emergency room for an ATV related injury, annually.

Uner is a ride-sharing service that allows customers to request a ride from nearby drivers using the company’s iPhone or Android app. The service is expanding at an astounding rate, which means the risk of accidents is also rising. What’s more, Uber drivers are independent contractors, not employees. If you are involved in an accident with an Uber driver, you are entitled to compensation by the driver’s insurance company. However, as Uber defines itself as a tech company and not a transportation company or car service, suing the company for the driver’s actions is likely a lost cause.

For obvious reasons, a pedestrian should always be given the right of way. Car crashes involving pedestrians often end in serious injuries and death. According to the US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 4,743 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in 2012, and 76,000 were injured. Of these fatalities, 20% the victims were 65 years old or older, and 48% of the fatalities involved alcohol intoxication of either the driver or pedestrian.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), people are more likely to die in rollover crashes than in any other type of SUV accident. A rollover occurs when a vehicle, usually an SUV, truck or van, flips onto its roof or side.

Sometimes car accidents become criminal. Hit and run accidents are one example. In the state of Massachusetts, when vehicles are involved in an accident, each driver must provide information to the other party, such as insurance and contact information. If a driver leaves the scene of an accident before doing this, he or she is said to be ‘fleeing the scene’ of the accident, which is considered to be a crime. It is not uncommon for hit and run accidents to involve a drunk driver who fled the scene to avoid being arrested for drunk driving. Some hit and run accidents occur because the driver is so intoxicated that he or she doesn’t even realize an accident occurred.

Family members can file a wrongful death lawsuit when a loved one is killed in a car accident. In a wrongful death case, the family member brings a claim against the party who caused the death. To help grieving families, and to bring the party at fault to justice, Massachusetts law allows successful plaintiffs to obtain compensation for medical bills, funeral and burial expenses, loss of companionship, loss of income, and other associated damages.

Car accidents often result in injuries, but the severity of injuries varies widely from accident to accident. Safety mechanisms, such as airbags and seat belts, help prevent serious injuries, but they don’t always work. Unfortunately, defective vehicle parts can be deadly. When an accident occurs, airbags are supposed to deploy. Unfortunately, in some instances, this can fail. Sensors within the airbags measure the severity of the impact. If the impact is severe enough, the sensors cause the airbag to fill within a fraction of a second. When a crash occurs, frontal airbags are meant to work in conjunction with seatbelts to keep the occupant from being seriously injured. When they fail, people can die.

Seatbelts can also fail in a time of need. Seat belt failure can result in serious injuries, including chest and neck injuries, broken bones, cuts and lacerations, and traumatic brain injuries.

If you’ve been injured, we can help. Auto accident cases are complex and constantly evolving. It is imperative that you find a skilled, knowledgeable car accident attorney prior to moving forward with your case. We can help. Contact Altman & Altman, LLP today for a free consultation about your case.