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What Types Of Vehicle Accidents Are Most Common?

Car accidents come in all shapes and sizes. If you or a loved one suffered an accident, you should give these situations some consideration. Reviewing these accident scenarios and understanding what causes them can help prevent future injuries and/or deaths.

At AlpernSchubert, P.C., we understand the complexities of motor vehicle accidents in Pittsburgh and are committed to providing honest evaluations to our clients. If you or a loved one was injured due to the negligent actions of a third party, discuss your situation with us.

Understanding Dangerous Situations

The following is a list of some of the most common car accidents in Pittsburgh and a few recommendations for drivers:

  • Accidents at an angle: Accidents that occur at an angle are most often caused by a driver who is turning and does not see oncoming traffic. These accidents can occur as drivers exit parking lots, enter parking lots, enter the road or turn left at an intersection. The two cars collide at an angle instead of head-on. Drivers should take an extra moment to check for any oncoming vehicles before turning.
  • Rear-end accidents: Rear-end accidents can be prevented in most cases if drivers pay more attention to what is happening on the road. Traffic slows down quickly, and distracted drivers often cause rear-end crashes because they cannot complete an emergency stop. These crashes can become even more severe if the victim’s vehicle is pushed into another car during the accident, causing a multi-vehicle accident.
  • Single-vehicle accidents: Single-vehicle accidents often involve trees, power poles and lamp posts. Single-vehicle accidents might also include any driver who has run off the road and struck a traffic sign, guardrail or embankment. Even though these accidents involve just one vehicle, they may have been caused by a negligent driver who made an unsafe lane change or pushed the victim off the road. Debris left behind by construction crews or even the blowout from a large truck’s tire may be enough to force a driver into a single-vehicle accident.
  • Side-impact accidents: Side-impact accidents include T-bone crashes, sideswipes or accidents caused when cars merge onto the roadway. Drivers are most often involved in T-bone accidents at intersections or when turning right to merge with traffic. Sideswipes occur when drivers change lanes and do not see the other vehicle. Merging crashes occur when a car enters the highway from a ramp and does not yield before merging into oncoming traffic. Motorists who are allowed to turn right at intersections may also drive into oncoming traffic and cause a crash.
  • Rollovers: Information gathered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicates that about 75% percent of rollover crashes occur on rural roads. These roads are not divided, and they often have steep drops that will cause a vehicle to roll. Additionally, 90% of rollovers have been shown to occur while the driver is executing a normal driving maneuver. This means that distracted, impaired or reckless drivers are more likely to cause these accidents simply because they were not attentive. It has been reported that 40% of rollovers involved speeding, and half of all fatal rollovers involved intoxicated drivers. Tall vehicles such as SUVs, vans and trucks are more likely to roll over because of an elevated center of gravity.
  • Hit-and-run accidents: Hit-and-run accidents occur any time the at-fault driver leaves the scene. If a driver stops and discusses the accident with the victim, they might still leave the scene before the police arrive or the victim can identify them. The hit driver should try to take a picture of the fleeing driver’s license plate and/or get their name. If the driver speeds away while the accident is still happening, someone should get a good look at their license plate or ask eyewitnesses if they can identify the vehicle or driver.
  • Parking accidents: Parking accidents often include scraping against another vehicle while parking, not noticing someone exiting a spot, and not seeing a car passing through the lot. Drivers must slow down and abide by speed limits posted in parking lots. Additionally, drivers should follow the arrows painted on the asphalt that indicate which way traffic should flow. Even though accidents often occur at low speeds, they can still result in compensable injuries. Victims should speak to a car accident lawyer to review how the accident occurred and how compensation should be recovered.

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