Altizer Law

Sideswipe crashes can be minor in terms of property damage or injuries to drivers and passengers. These are the sideswipe crashes that typically come to mind for most of us. But sideswipe crashes can also be very serious, causing serious injuries to everyone involved and significant damage to the vehicles involved. A number of sideswipe accidents can also end up involving several other vehicles and far more damage. The IIHS reports that 242,000 sideswipe crashes occur every year. According to the National Safety Council, sideswipe crashes result in approximately 27,000 injuries and 2,500 fatalities every year.

Sideswipe crashes occur when two vehicles are driving beside each other in the same direction (or the opposite direction) and the sides of the two vehicles contact one another. Sideswipe crashes often lead to a second crash with another vehicle, a guardrail, a concrete barrier, light posts, trees, or signs on the side of the road. These accidents are very dangerous when the vehicles are traveling at a high speed on a highway. [Read more…]