Sideswipe Auto Accident Injuries

January 27, 2022

What Should I Do After A Sideswipe Auto Accident?

Michael L. Chambers Jr.

Michael L. Chambers Jr., Auto Accident Lawyer

Having another driver suddenly strike the side of your car can put your life into a tailspin. With your vehicle damaged and injuries to attend to, you might face costly bills and be unable to return to work until you recover from your injuries. Some injuries lead to long-term medical expenses, treatment, and rehabilitation, and can limit your ability to return to work at all.

When you have been in a Sideswipe car accident and another driver was at fault, the law allows you to seek compensation for your losses. A car accident attorney can help you to determine what damages you deserve by considering the facts and circumstances of your accident and reviewing all relevant evidence. When necessary, an attorney can collect expert opinions in support of an accurate calculation of the costs associated with your accident or injuries.

Below, we’ll explore information about sideswipes, their effects, and how you can recover the most possible compensation following your sideswipe collision.

Common Causes of Sideswipe Collisions

Distracted Drivers

When another driver violates the rules of the road, they are at fault and should pay for any damages the accident caused. On the roads today, one leading cause of accidents – including sideswipes – is distracted driving. When a driver is not paying attention, they can easily drift out of their intended lane, sometimes crashing into the side of a vehicle in an adjacent lane.

A driver is engaging in distracted driving when they are doing any activity that causes them to take their attention away from the road when driving. This can include anything from using smartphones to text or talk while driving to speaking with passengers in the vehicle. Using an in-dash display or talking on the phone is also a form of distracted driving. When another driver was distracted and caused an accident in which you were injured or experienced property damage, you are entitled to damages.

Drunk Drivers

Each day in the United States, 28 people die due to impaired drivers, underlining the significant problem that illegal drunk driving presents. All injuries that happen because of drunk driving are 100 percent preventable, and when a drunk driver causes an accident that injures someone or causes property damage, they are liable for the damages that result.

Drunk drivers might not stay in their appropriate lane and sideswipe your vehicle, damaging your property and your body. If a police officer arrests the drunk driver, it might impose a criminal sentence, but you still need to take civil action to seek all the damages you need to cover your losses. Your attorney can use a drunk driving conviction as key evidence to prove your injury claim, though you might prevail on the civil side even without a criminal conviction of the drunk driver.

Commercial Truck Drivers

Commercial truck drivers are often the source of sideswipe accidents. Large semi-trucks have large blind spots along each side of their long trailers, and drivers should know how to properly check blind spots before changing lanes or making other maneuvers on the road. Seeing a large truck coming into your lane and colliding with your smaller car can be terrifying, and this type of crash is all too common on the highways.

There are many reasons why truck drivers might cause a sideswipe crash, including distracted driving, drunk driving, fatigued driving, and more. Your car accident attorney can help determine whether the trucker and the trucking company can be responsible for your losses.

Recovering Fully for Your Losses Following a Sideswipe

Damages After Sideswipe AccidentCollecting the full compensation you deserve depends on the accurate calculation of the impact of your injuries on your ability to work and enjoy your personal life in the time following the accident. Your medical costs are not limited to what you have to pay the emergency room for your immediate medical care following the collision.

Medical expenses include any follow-up treatment, rehabilitation, medication, and other measures that might be necessary for you to fully recover from your injuries. Knowing what you will need into the future can require additional medical opinions after you receive emergency medical care, and your local car accident attorney will know how to identify all expenses that qualify for compensation.

You can also qualify for future medical expenses if your injuries are permanent or will require additional care once your claim resolves. Often, medical experts need to prove your estimated future costs, and your lawyer can obtain these expert opinions when necessary.

You can also recover for any wages you lost during your recovery – even if you only missed a week or two of work. If your injuries are so severe that you cannot return to earning what you did before the crash, you can also seek damages for future lost earnings.

Knowing what you will lose in earnings into the future requires the opinion of an occupational expert. An occupational expert considers how your symptoms in both the short and long term will impact your ability to work and support your family.

When you cannot return to work at all due to an injury, you can seek compensation to cover your lost wages throughout your working life. If you cannot return to a job that pays as well as before your injury, the compensation you deserve will be equal to the lost earnings you experience each year through the end of your working life.

In addition to the above financial losses, sideswipe collision victims can also seek compensation for intangible (or non-economic) losses.

These can include:

  • Physical pain and suffering
  • Mental trauma
  • Loss of enjoyment of life
  • Permanent disfigurement or disability

These calculations are all complex and might require expert opinions, and your car accident attorney can collect them then apply them in your case to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve. Never wait to start the process by seeking a free case evaluation from a trusted car accident lawyer today.

We’re Experts in Personal Injury, Real Estate Law and Criminal Defense

Our diverse legal team has years of experience working both in and out of Hartford, New Britain, Enfield, Manchester, Rockville, and New Haven courtrooms with clients of all backgrounds, ethnicities and ages. We focus on personal injury, real estate law and criminal defense, but we have handled cases of all types. We’re happy to discuss your case with you to see if we’re a fit.

Personal Injury

Real Estate Law

Criminal Defense

en_USEnglish