Side Impact Collisions

Government and industry safety experts have been working for nearly thirty years to improve vehicles’ ability to withstand a crash in head-on collisions. It’s only recently that they’ve followed that up with improving vehicles’ crashworthiness in side and angled impacts, which are much more common than head-on collisions. Data from the federal Department of Transportation show that of all fatal crashes involving multiple vehicles in 2005, 20.7 percent were side-angle crashes, as opposed to just 10.1 percent that were head-on. Angled crashes were the most likely injury crash as well, at 32.3 percent of all injury crashes. And when side-impact crashes leave survivors, they’re often left with severe injuries, including spinal injuries, brain damage, multiple fractures and internal injuries.

Part of the reason for side-impact crashes’ severity is in their name. The sides of vehicles offer much less protection from impact than the front or the back. Not only do they offer a much smaller physical barrier between oncoming traffic and a vehicle occupant, but they also have less space for engineers to use to add impact-absorbing features. They generally do not offer the kinds of safety features that vehicle fronts have, including air bags and “crumple zones.” In fact, even though frontal air bags have been required by federal law in all new passenger vehicles since 1989, side air bags are not currently required. Side curtain air bags have been available since 1995, but are not currently standard on all new cars; a few don’t even offer them as options.

Furthermore, the limited cushion of space between the side of a vehicle and its occupants means that they’re highly likely to suffer “intrusion” -- parts of the car being pushed into the cabin. If the striking vehicle hits the struck vehicle squarely in its side doors, the struck vehicle’s occupants risk severe injuries as the side of their vehicle “deforms,” pushing broken glass and jagged metal toward them. Occupants run a high risk of death, head and neck injuries, internal injuries, broken bones and other severe injuries.

Intrusion injuries can be even worse when a larger vehicle hits a smaller one, a scenario the NHTSA has identified as the number-one cause of death in multi-auto accidents. In a side-impact collision between two unequally-sized vehicles, occupants’ heads are likely to be at the level of the larger vehicle’s bumper. Thus, if the accident causes parts of their own vehicle to “intrude” into the cabin, occupants are likely to be struck in their vulnerable heads and necks, killing them or leaving them with brain damage, paralysis or another permanent disability. This is one reason why passenger car vs. light truck accidents comprised the majority of both fatal accidents and injury accidents in 2005.

And a two-vehicle accident can become much worse, involving even more vehicles, if the striking vehicle hits the struck vehicle near the front or rear bumper. The force of the impact in this situation can cause the struck vehicle to spin away, striking other vehicles or objects like a pinball. Meanwhile, the striking vehicle may keep moving, hitting still other vehicles and objects, because it lost very little momentum in the initial crash. Occupants of the striking vehicle are most likely to suffer injuries in this scenario, even if it is a large vehicle.

Like other collisions, most side and angled crashes can be traced to negligent driving. Most side-impact crashes take place at intersections, often when a driver runs a red light or stop sign, hitting another driver who had the right of way. Too much speed and failing to check for traffic before entering an intersection can also cause a side collision. More facts about side-angle crashes:

BISNAR | CHASE has represented injured crash victims since 1978. We have a strong record of collecting the maximum possible damages for our clients. Some of our results include:

A side-impact accident can leave its victims permanently disabled by brain damage, paralysis, lost limbs and shattered bones. It can also destroy their trust in other drivers and ruin them financially. If you or someone you care about has been the victim of a side-impact accident and you’re considering litigation, the experienced auto accident attorneys at BISNAR | CHASE can help. We have aggressively pursued justice for accident victims for three decades, winning tens of millions of dollars for our clients. For a free case evaluation, call us today at 1-800-561-4846 or click here to fill out our online consultation form.

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