Types of Car Accidents in Houston
For the most recent year for which statistics were available, 68,682 vehicle crashes occurred in Houston, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. These crashes resulted in 253 traffic fatalities and more than 32,000 injuries. This includes all car crash types that were reported to law enforcement agencies throughout the year.
Each different type of car crash has its own unique characteristics and can result in different types of injuries. You need a lawyer who will understand the specific circumstances regarding the crash that injured you.
If you’ve been hurt in a car accident through no fault of your own, turn to the Houston car accident lawyers at The Law Offices of Hilda Sibrian™. Since 2004, our firm has fought to protect the rights of accident victims like you who were injured by someone else’s negligence.
Contact us today for a free initial case evaluation. A knowledgeable attorney from our legal team will discuss your legal rights and options. After being injured in a car accident in Houston, let us help you get the compensation you deserve.
Types of Car Accidents
There are many different types of traffic accidents. The nature of the crash will often determine the nature and severity of injuries the occupants might suffer. Examples of types of traffic accidents include:
Rear-End Collisions
A rear-end accident occurs when a vehicle fails to stop before colliding into the back of the vehicle it’s following. Rear-end collisions typically occur because of speeding, following too closely, unsafe lane changes, or distracted driving.
The law requires drivers to leave enough distance between themselves and the vehicle in front of them so that they can safely slow down and stop without colliding into nearby vehicles. As a result, fault for most rear-end accidents is assigned to the driver in back. Rear-end accidents usually cause whiplash injuries for accident victims, as the force of the collision often causes the head and neck to quickly snap forward and back.
Head-On Collisions
A head-on collision is one of the most serious types of car accidents, since it involves the front of one vehicle colliding into the front of another vehicle. Head-on accidents can occur due to a number of reasons, including:
- Distracted driving
- Driving under the influence
- Drowsy or fatigued driving
- Drifting into oncoming traffic
- Failing to yield
- Unsafe turning
Head-on accidents tend to cause the most significant injuries due to the significant and opposing forces involved in the collision.
Side-Impact Collisions
A side-impact collision involves an at-fault vehicle striking anywhere along the side of another vehicle, including colliding straight onto the middle of the vehicle’s side or even just clipping a front or rear fender.
Side-impact collisions are often caused by speeding, distracted driving, drowsy or fatigued driving, driving under the influence, and running stop signs or red lights.
The severity of injuries that occur in a side-impact collision can depend on where on the victim’s vehicle the impact occurs and where vehicle occupants are seated. For example, if a side-impact occurs on the driver’s door, the driver will likely suffer more serious injuries than if the impact occurred on the passenger side. Side-impact collisions often cause serious injuries due to the lack of safety equipment on the sides of motor vehicles.
Sideswipe Accidents
A sideswipe accident involves the side of one vehicle colliding with the side of another. These collisions usually occur during negligent or unsafe lane changes, when a vehicle attempting to change lanes fails to signal and check mirrors and blind spots.
These accidents can also occur if a vehicle drifts out of its lane due to driver inattention, drowsy or fatigued driving, or driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. These accidents can lead to serious vehicle damage and personal injury if the collision causes the drivers involved to lose control of their vehicles.
Single-Vehicle Accidents
A single-vehicle accident is a crash where the vehicle involved did not impact any other vehicle. Other vehicles can cause a single-vehicle accident, such as when a car cuts off another vehicle on the highway, causing the driver to lose control.
Drivers could also lose control and have a single-vehicle accident because of problems such as:
- Poor road conditions
- Potholes
- Slippery surfaces
- Design or manufacturing defects
- Inclement weather
Multi-Vehicle Accidents
Although a multi-vehicle accident includes collisions between two vehicles, the term more commonly refers to accidents involving three or more vehicles.
Many multi-vehicle accidents are characterized as a “chain reaction” or “domino” accident, where a collision between two vehicles causes the momentum of those vehicles to carry them into collisions with other vehicles, which then trigger more collisions with even more vehicles, and so on.
Rollover Accidents
A rollover occurs when a vehicle tips over and lands on its side and/or roof.
A rollover accident may be caused by a high-speed impact with another vehicle. Or it may qualify as a single-vehicle accident resulting from poor road conditions, such as potholes or snow and ice. A rollover could happen when a vehicle defect like a tire blowout causes the driver to lose control, with the momentum of the car causing it to flip over. Rollover accidents can lead to catastrophic or life-threatening injuries, including:
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Fracture
- Crushing injuries
T-Bone Collisions
A T-bone accident refers to a type of side-impact collision where the front of a vehicle collides into the side of another vehicle at a perpendicular angle, forming the “T” shape that gives the collision its name.
T-bone accidents tend to result in the most severe injuries out of all side-impact collisions since the force of the impact is usually imparted onto the passenger compartment of the vehicle. T-bone accidents most frequently occur due to a driver running a red light or intersection stop sign.
Blind Spot Accidents
A blind spot accident typically refers to a sideswipe accident where the driver that causes the accident does not see the other vehicle because it is hidden in the driver’s “blind spot.” A blind spot is the position near the side of a car where a vehicle cannot be seen in the car’s side view mirrors.
Fortunately, recent advances in car design are helping cut down on these accidents. The advances include blind spot mirrors, blind spot monitoring technology, and collision avoidance technology that warns or prevents drivers from changing lanes when the car detects a vehicle in the blind spot.
Low-Speed Accidents
Often called a “fender-bender” accident because vehicle damage is usually limited to scratched, dented, or bent bumpers and side fenders, low-speed accidents can still result in injuries. Common injuries arising out of low-speed accidents include:
- Neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Whiplash
- Soft tissue injuries
Merging Accidents
A merging accident can occur when vehicles try to enter a highway from an on-ramp, or when a lane ends, and traffic in the lane must merge into the adjacent, continuing lane. These collisions occur more frequently in heavy traffic.
While vehicles entering the highway must yield to traffic already on the highway, merging accidents can result when drivers misjudge vehicle distance and speed and unsafely attempt to enter the highway from the on-ramp.
How Hilda Sibrian Can Help
After you’ve been involved in a car accident in Houston, Attorney Hilda Sibrian and her team of skilled personal injury lawyers can help you seek financial recovery and justice from those at fault. We can help you plot your best course of action after the accident by:
- Offering a free consultation to help you understand your legal rights and options and to determine whether our firm is the right firm to help you pursue your car accident claim.
- Conducting a thorough investigation of the crash to recover all relevant evidence.
- Working with experts in accident reconstruction and engineering to determine what happened in the accident and identify those parties who can be held at fault.
- Filing your claims for compensation with the relevant insurance companies and handling all communications with adjusters and defense attorneys to ensure that your rights and interests are protected. We will fight against efforts by the insurance companies to devalue or undercut your right to compensation.
- Aggressively negotiating for a fair and full settlement of your case so that you have the resources you need for your recovery.
- Preparing your case to go to court and pursuing your claim all the way to trial if necessary to secure the maximum financial recovery on your behalf.
Your car accident claim may turn into one of the most critical events of your life. That’s why our attorneys keep extended hours. We always remain available to you to answer any questions you may have about your case and to keep you updated on its progress.
Contact The Law Offices of Hilda Sibrian™ for Help with Your Claim
If you’ve been involved in a car accident in Houston due to the negligence or recklessness of someone else, call or contact the car accident attorneys of The Law Offices of Hilda Sibrian™ today. You’ll get a free, no-obligation consultation and speak with one of our experienced personal injury lawyers. We can talk about your case and share more about how our dedicated law firm can help you to recover compensation for your injuries and losses from any type of car crash. We have helped thousands of real people achieve real results. We want to help you, too. Contact our bilingual staff and attorneys today.
