Common Types of Chicago Auto Accidents

Auto accidents can occur in many different ways. Understanding how the accident happened helps lawyers determine who was responsible. The other driver, the owner of the vehicle, the shipping company that hired a truck, the manufacturer of a car part, and any number of other businesses and people may be liable. Knowing how the accident happened is essential to proving negligence, carelessness, or recklessness. The manner of the accident is also useful in showing what injuries occurred. Rear-end collisions normally cause soft-tissue injuries while head-on collisions often cause death and catastrophic injuries.

Types of accidents common on Chicago roadways include:

• Head-on collisions. These accidents often occur at intersections or when one diver is intoxicated and crosses into another lane. In head-on crashes, the fronts of the two vehicles collide, usually at high speeds. The intense impact often causes severe and permanent injuries requiring compensation for a lifetime of pain and medical care, or results in death requiring a wrongful death lawsuit.
• Side-impact collisions. Here, the front of one vehicle strikes the side of another vehicle. Side-impact accidents are also known as T-bone accidents or broadside collisions. The driver of the front-end car and the passenger in the side-impact car suffer the most harm. These accidents usually occur when one car is trying to make a right- or left-hand turn and the other vehicle is going straight.
• Sideswipe accidents. These collisionshappen when both cars are in the same lane but one veers into the other lane. They can also happen when one car tries to pass or merge but does so improperly. The real danger of a sideswipe accident is that the contact may cause the drivers to lose control of their cars, causing them to swerve or strike other vehicles or objects.
• Single auto accidents. Drivers who are distracted, speeding, or not paying attention can strike poles, lighting fixtures, walls, buildings, and even pedestrians. Passengers who are injured have a right of action against these irresponsible drivers — as do the pedestrians.
• Vehicle rollovers. Vehicles that are going too fast or going through a curve can flip over. Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) are especially likely to rollover because they have a higher center of gravity than standard automobiles. Jeeps are also known to rollover.
• Multi-vehicle crashes. Many crashes begin with just one car going too fast and striking another automobile. Sometimes, one of these vehicles can ricochet into another car. Other times, cars can crash just trying to avoid the accident. Proving fault in multi-car collisions is complicated because It has to be determined which cars hit which other cars and in what order.
• Rear-end collisions. Here, one car is normally going too fast or not paying attention causing the driver to strike the rear of another car that is usually stationary. The driver and passengers in the front-end car often suffer whiplash, back pain, and other injuries.

Auto accidents can also be due to product defects, such as bad brakes or faulty steering mechanisms. Some vehicles are autonomous which means they don’t have drivers. If autonomous vehicles malfunction they can cause all sorts of dangerous problems.

Speak with an experienced Chicago car accident attorney today

No matter how the accident happened, our Chicago auto accident attorneys have the experience to help you get justice. We conduct extensive discovery, speak with all relevant witnesses, and examine the vehicles involved and the scene of the accident so we can prove the cause of the crash in court. When necessary, we work with traffic reconstruction experts. If you have been injured or a loved one has tragically died, please call Gainsberg Injury and Accident Lawyers today at 312-600-9585 or fill-out our contact form.