Sideswipe accidents may not sound as serious as some of the other types of crashes that happen, like T-bones and rollovers, but the injuries can actually be quite extreme. Understanding how these accidents happen and how you may be able to obtain compensation if someone else’s negligence caused the accident is essential for victims.
Contact a car accident attorney in St. Louis today — call now.
Common Causes of Sideswipe Accidents in St. Louis
Sideswipe accidents are a frequent source of injury. Some of the most common causes of these crashes include:
Unsafe Lane Changes
Sideswipe accidents often occur when a driver switches lanes without properly signaling. This can lead them to swipe the car in the other lane.
Failure to Check Blind Spots
Drivers who rely only on their mirrors or ignore blind spots before merging can easily hit adjacent vehicles that are just out of sight, causing serious crashes.
Distracted Driving
Using a phone, inputting a GPS address, or turning to talk to passengers could all cause a driver to drift out of their lane and unexpectedly sideswipe nearby cars.
Speeding or Aggressive Driving
High speeds and aggressive maneuvers make it tougher to react to surrounding cars. These risky behaviors leave little room or time to correct errors, resulting in preventable sideswipes accidents.
Impaired Driving
Intoxication from alcohol, drugs, or even some medications decreases judgment and control, sometimes leading drivers to drift between lanes and cause an accident.
If you’ve been involved in a sideswipe accident and believe it was caused by someone else’s negligent behavior, don’t hesitate to reach out to our firm to learn more about your options.
Who Is at Fault in a Sideswipe Accident?
Determining fault in a sideswipe accident depends on the specific actions of each driver and sometimes road conditions at the time of the crash. In most cases, the driver who makes an unsafe lane change, fails to check blind spots, drifts out of their lane, or merges without warning is found liable for the collision.
Evidence like eyewitness statements, dash cam footage, accident scene photos, and the location of damage on the vehicles can help clarify which driver is truly responsible.
Pure Comparative Fault in Missouri
In some cases, both drivers involved in the accident may have played a role in causing it. Missouri uses a pure comparative fault standard, which means each party’s level of responsibility is considered when determining compensation. Even if you’re partly to blame for the sideswipe, you can still recover damages – your award is reduced proportionately to your own percentage of fault.
For example, if you’re found 30% at fault and the other driver is 70% responsible, you could still collect 70% of your total damages.
When to Contact a St. Louis Sideswipe Accident Lawyer
Contacting a St. Louis personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after your crash can protect your rights and ensure you’re treated fairly throughout the process. Here are some of the situations in which you might consider reaching out:
- You’ve suffered severe injuries or your condition gets worse over time.
- The other driver or their insurance disputes fault, or your claim has been denied.
- Insurance adjusters pressure you to give a statement or accept a low settlement.
- You are left with permanent injuries and are unable to work or enjoy life as you used to.
You don’t have to wait until things are difficult to contact a lawyer; we’re always here to help.
Call us today to schedule your free consultation.