Accident victims throughout the greater Sacramento area have strong allies
at the Law Offices of Larry S. Buckley. Our lawyers understand that major
injuries and accidents can lead to long-term changes to your life, which
is why we fight diligently for our clients, seeking damages that address
losses and hardships they've been forced to endure.
Auto accidents often cause long-term injuries and tragic, lasting repercussions, which is why it's important to have skilled attorneys on your side for this sort of litigation. We'd like to focus on a type of vehicle collision that can lead to serious and even fatal injuries: side swipes.
Defining Side Swipe Auto Collisions
Also known as side-impact collisions, side swipes occur when two or more vehicles make contact along their sides. In less serious accidents, vehicle damage is the result. In more serious side swipes, it's possible for motorists to lose control or for multi-vehicle collisions to occur.
Side swipes can occur on city streets and major highways, though these accidents can also occur on narrow roads and two-lane highways.
Common Causes of Side Swipe Vehicle Accidents
Some of the most common causes of side swipe accidents include the following:
- Failure to signal while changing lanes
- Frequent or sudden lane changes
- Failure to signal while merging
- Failure to check the rear view mirror and/or blindspots
- Broken turn signals
- Malfunctioning traffic signals
- Failure to yield
- Driver distraction
- Drunk driving
- Narrow roads/streets
Types of Injuries That May Be Sustained In Side Swipe Collisions
The severity of injuries that may be sustained during a side swipe accident vary on the nature of the accident. It's not uncommon for injury accident victims to suffer from the following:
- Cuts and lacerations
- Major contusions
- Broken or fractured bones
- Neck/spinal cord injury
- Brain injury or head trauma
Ways to Avoid Side Swipe Auto Accidents
In order to protect yourself from side swipe auto accidents, we recommend the following:
- Always use turn signals when merging or changing lanes
- Check your blindspots before merging or changing lanes
- Always abide by the rules of the road
- Remain within in your designated lane
- Do not drive in an overly aggressive or reckless manner
- Do not use your cellphone while driving
How Our Attorneys Can Help You
If you or someone that you love has been injured in a side swipe vehicle collision, we will fight diligently to ensure that you receive just compensation for injuries sustained and any hardships that you've been forced to endure. This means seeking just compensation for vehicle damage and any other harm to property as well as seeking damages for medical expenses, lost wages, and other impacts to your income and earnings.
Should a side swipe result in the death of a family member, we will seek damages to cover funerary costs as well as the emotional pain and suffering caused by the loss of your loved one. We will also seek additional damages given the egregious nature of the accident.
Contact the Law Offices of Larry S. Buckley
For more information about your legal options following a serious auto collision, be sure to contact our personal injury lawyers today. At the Law Offices of Larry S. Buckley, we will be sure to fight diligently for you and your legal rights, and we will make sure that any motorist who acted irresponsibly will be taken to task for his or her irresponsibility.