Las Vegas Side-Impact Crash Lawyers
It’s strange to think about, but the sides of a vehicle – the place where the drivers and passengers sit and are most vulnerable to impact – are the weakest points of a vehicle and the least reinforced. Car safety and crashworthiness technology and resources go into reinforcing the front and rear of the vehicle, yet little is done for the sides. The sides of a car don’t have bumpers or crumple zones. And if the car is more than ten years old, it doesn’t have side curtain airbags either. Instead, drivers and passengers sit close to the outside of the vehicle abutting glass windows, narrow posts, and lightweight doors, because who wants to have to open and close a heavy door? Sadly, the consequences are dire for accident victims involved in a side-impact crash.
At Mainor Ellis Injury Lawyers, our experienced personal injury attorneys know all too well the physical pain, emotional suffering, and financial cost delivered by a catastrophic car accident. Every day, we fight to help car accident victims in Las Vegas get care and compensation to deal with the damage done to them by a negligent driver. Justice means holding the responsible party fully accountable for the harm they’ve caused. Mainor Ellis Injury Lawyers will fight for you. Contact our dedicated Las Vegas side-impact crash lawyers today.
Side-Impact Crashes: Causes and Effects
Side-impact collisions can occur in numerous ways. They include sideswipe collisions, where two vehicles are traveling in the same direction, as well as broadside or T-bone accidents, where the front end of one vehicle crashes into the side of another, typically at an intersection. Of the two kinds of accidents, T-bone crashes are more often devastating and deadly, although both types of collisions can result in serious injuries. Altogether, side-impact crashes are responsible for one-fourth of all traffic fatalities and one-third of deaths of children in auto accidents.
Non-fatal yet serious consequences of side-impact crashes include severe injuries to the head and torso, such as:
- Head injuries, including traumatic brain injuries. A TBI in a side-impact crash can occur when the head strikes the interior of the vehicle or when a forceful crash causes the brain to strike the interior of the skull.
- Back, neck and spinal injuries, including paralysis, permanent disability or chronic pain
- Injuries to the abdomen, chest and pelvis, including internal bleeding and organ damage
- Broken bones
- Deep cuts, which can be life-threatening or result in nerve damage or disfiguring scars
Many factors play a role in the type and severity of injuries suffered in a side-impact crash. The main factors include the size and weight differential of the vehicles involved; the speed of the vehicles, which can increase the force of an impact and even cause a rollover; whether the impact occurs on the doors, which tend to collapse inward toward the occupants, versus the front or back fenders; and the angle of the accident, with crashes occurring at 10:00 and 2:00 positions creating the most severe injuries, apart from right-angle T-bone collisions.
Side-impact crashes, including both sideswipes and broadside collisions, don’t happen unless one of the drivers is negligent. Common causes of side-impact crashes include:
- Speeding
- Unsafe lane changes
- Running a stop sign or red light
- Executing a dangerous left turn
- Making a left turn from the right-hand lane or a right turn from the left-hand lane
- Passing a car on the right that has slowed to make a right turn
- Failing to signal a lane change
- Failing to check blind spots before changing lanes
- Distracted driving
- Drunk driving
- Drowsy driving
- Drifting or swerving into an adjacent lane due to fatigue, distraction, intoxication, or overcorrecting
Side-impact crashes are complex events, and in the case of sideswipes in particular it can be difficult to prove the negligent driver’s fault. Insurance companies often seize on the nature of the accident to pin the blame on the crash victim, especially if the crash occurred while they were pulling into traffic at the time. Nevada’s comparative negligence law means that an accident victim’s compensation will be reduced in proportion to any negligence attributed to them, and if they are deemed more at fault than the other driver, they can’t force any recovery at all. The zealous advocates at Mainor Ellis Injury Lawyers fight to see that fault is properly apportioned in a side-impact crash and that accident victims are not unfairly blamed for an accident they didn’t cause or contribute to.
Contact Mainor Ellis Injury Lawyers After a Side-Impact Crash in Las Vegas
If you or a loved one has been hurt by a negligent driver in a side-impact crash in Las Vegas, Mainor Ellis Injury Lawyers will approach your case with compassion and a fierce dedication to obtaining a settlement or jury verdict that meets your needs and sees that justice is done. Call our office at 702-450-5000 for a free consultation and to get started today getting the care and compensation you need and deserve.