The most common types of car accidents include rear-end collisions, angle (or T-bone) crashes, sideswipes, head-on collisions, and single-vehicle accidents. Each type presents a unique set of challenges when it comes to determining who is at fault and proving what happened.
If you have a question about your car accident, call us at (603) 262-5766.
Key Takeaways for Understanding Common Car Accident Types
- The type of collision provides a framework for proving fault. This matters because different accidents, like rear-end versus T-bone, have different legal presumptions that shape the investigation.
- Objective evidence is necessary to overcome insurance company tactics. Insurers use tactics like blame-shifting to reduce payouts, so physical evidence, witness statements, and expert analysis are essential.
- Even in a single-vehicle accident, another party might be at fault. Factors like phantom drivers, poor road maintenance, or vehicle defects mean you should investigate before accepting blame.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions are one of the most frequent types of accidents on the road. They happen in stop-and-go traffic, at red lights, and on highways when one vehicle crashes into the one directly in front of it. While many of these incidents occur at low speeds and result in minor property damage, they also cause serious and lingering injuries.
There’s a common assumption that the rear driver is always at fault, but this isn’t always the case. The other driver’s insurance company is a business, and it must balance paying claims with making a profit. They may conduct a thorough investigation to argue that you stopped suddenly for no reason or that your brake lights weren’t working. These arguments are designed to shift blame and reduce what they have to pay.
Furthermore, injuries like whiplash have delayed symptoms. If you don’t seek immediate medical attention, insurers might later claim the injury isn’t related to the crash.
How Is Fault Determined In a Rear-End Crash?
In most situations, there is a legal presumption that the trailing driver is at fault for following too closely or not paying attention. Drivers have a duty to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle ahead, allowing them enough time and space to stop if necessary. A failure to do so is the primary cause of these collisions.
However, we investigate every case for exceptions to this general rule. We look for evidence of the lead driver acting erratically, such as reversing suddenly, pulling out into traffic without enough space, or driving with non-functional brake lights. If the lead driver contributed to the crash, the fault may be shared.
What Evidence Helps Build Your Case?
To counter arguments from the insurance company and establish the facts, we focus on collecting key pieces of evidence:
- Vehicle Damage: Photographs showing the location and severity of the damage to both cars help reconstruct the impact. For example, damage centered on the rear bumper of your car and the front bumper of the other car strongly supports the standard rear-end collision narrative.
- Witness Statements: Independent witnesses who saw the collision provide impartial confirmation of what happened. A witness might confirm that you were stopped for a red light for several seconds before being struck from behind.
- Event Data Recorder (EDR): Many modern cars have a “black box” that records essential data in the moments before a crash, such as vehicle speed, braking, and throttle position. We work to preserve and analyze this data, which provides a scientific account of the collision.
Angle Collisions (T-Bone Accidents): The Dangers of Intersections
An angle, or T-bone, collision occurs when the front of one vehicle strikes the side of another, forming a “T” shape. These crashes are most common at intersections but also happen in parking lots and whenever a driver is turning across traffic.
These crashes are particularly dangerous because the side of a vehicle offers very little protection from a direct impact, as there’s no large engine block or trunk to absorb the force.
Proving fault quickly becomes a “he said, she said” situation, where each driver claims they had the right-of-way. Without clear evidence, an insurance company may try to assign partial fault based on conflicting stories or even deny the claim altogether, leaving you to deal with mounting medical bills and lost income.
Our approach is to find objective evidence that cuts through the conflicting stories and establishes a clear sequence of events.
Who Has the Right-of-Way?
Fault in a T-bone accident almost always hinges on which driver violated the right-of-way. This could mean one driver ran a red light or a stop sign. It could also involve a driver making an unsafe left turn in front of oncoming traffic, failing to yield as required by law.
How Do You Prove Who Was at Fault?
When faced with two different versions of events, we turn to external evidence to prove your case:
- Traffic Light Sequences: We work to obtain traffic light timing records from the local municipality. These records show the color and duration of the lights at the exact time of the collision, confirming who had the green light.
- Surveillance Footage: We conduct a thorough investigation of the area, looking for security cameras on nearby businesses or homes that may have captured the collision. Video evidence is the most compelling proof available.
- Accident Reconstruction: For cases involving serious injuries, we may work with engineers who specialize in accident reconstruction. They analyze vehicle damage, skid marks, debris fields, and other physical evidence to scientifically determine how the crash occurred, including vehicle speeds and angles of impact.
Head-On Collisions
A head-on collision happens when the front ends of two vehicles traveling in opposite directions collide. While they are less frequent than other types of car accidents, they are among the most lethal. The immense force generated by two vehicles moving toward each other creates a devastating impact that results in catastrophic injuries or fatalities.
The primary cause is almost always a driver crossing the centerline into oncoming traffic. This happens for many reasons, including distracted driving, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, falling asleep at the wheel, or attempting to pass another vehicle unsafely on a two-lane road. The challenge in these cases isn’t always proving the other driver crossed the line; it is about demonstrating the full extent of your damages, which are frequently life-altering.
Our focus in these cases is twofold: establishing clear liability for the collision and building a comprehensive damages model to account for a lifetime of consequences.
How Do You Show the Other Driver Was In Your Lane?
The first step is proving that the other driver negligently crossed your lane. We use several sources of evidence to confirm this:
- Police Report: The responding officer’s report will typically include a diagram of the accident scene, noting the point of impact and the final resting positions of the vehicles.
- Physical Evidence: The location of debris from the vehicles, fluid spills, and tire marks on the roadway pinpoints exactly where the collision happened in relation to the centerline.
- Witnesses: Other drivers who saw the vehicle weaving or drifting before the crash provide powerful testimony about the driver’s behavior leading up to the collision.
Why Is Documenting Damages So Important Here?
Head-on collisions frequently result in injuries that may require long-term medical care, extensive rehabilitation, and may prevent you from ever returning to your previous job or any work at all.
We work with medical and financial planners to calculate the full lifetime cost of your injuries, not just the initial hospital bills. This includes future medical treatments, assistive care, lost earning capacity, and the non-economic costs of pain and suffering.
Sideswipes and Unsafe Lane Changes
A sideswipe accident occurs when two vehicles traveling in the same direction make contact along their sides. This frequently happens during lane changes on highways and other multi-lane roads when a driver fails to check their blind spot or misjudges the space available.
What might seem like a minor impact has severe consequences. A sudden nudge could cause a driver to lose control of their vehicle, leading to a much more serious secondary collision with another car, a median, or a guardrail. The at-fault driver’s insurer might try to argue that you drifted into their lane or were driving in their blind spot, attempting to create a shared-fault scenario to reduce their payout.
We work to show that the other driver’s actions were the sole cause of the collision and the chain of events that followed.
How Can You Prove the Other Driver Made an Unsafe Lane Change?
The driver who is changing lanes has a legal responsibility to ensure it is safe to do so before making the move. We look for evidence that they failed in this fundamental duty.
- Dash Cam Footage: An increasing number of drivers use dash cams, which provides undeniable proof of how an accident happened. If you or a witness has footage, it resolves any dispute about who was at fault.
- Paint Transfer and Damage Patterns: The location of paint transfer and scrapes on both vehicles shows the angle of impact and which vehicle initiated the contact. This physical evidence corroborates your version of events.
- Witnesses: Passengers in your vehicle or other nearby drivers confirm which driver was attempting to merge or change lanes at the time of the collision.
On New Hampshire highways like I-93 or the Everett Turnpike, high speeds turn a simple sideswipe into a multi-car pile-up. In these situations, liability becomes complicated very quickly.
Single-Vehicle Accidents: Was It Really Just Your Fault?
In a single-vehicle accident, only one car is involved. Common examples include running off the road and hitting a fixed object like a tree or guardrail, or a rollover crash. Collisions with fixed objects account for a significant portion of all traffic fatalities each year.
There is a strong assumption that the driver is automatically at fault in a single-vehicle crash. You might even believe it yourself, thinking you just lost control or made a mistake. However, other factors beyond your control could be at play that you may not have considered in the heat of the moment.
Before accepting full blame, it is worth investigating other potential causes.
Could Someone Else Be Responsible?
A thorough investigation might reveal that you were not the only one at fault. Here are some possibilities:
- A “Phantom” Driver: Another driver may have cut you off, made an unsafe lane change, or run you off the road and then fled the scene. We search for witnesses or nearby surveillance footage to identify this driver.
- Poor Road Conditions: A dangerous pothole, a lack of warning signs for a sharp curve, or a poorly designed or maintained roadway could make a government entity partially or fully liable for the accident.
- Vehicle Defect: A sudden tire blowout, brake failure, or steering malfunction could point to a manufacturing or design defect in the vehicle. In these cases, the vehicle or parts manufacturer could be held responsible for your injuries.
Multi-Vehicle Pile-Ups: Unraveling a Chain Reaction
Pile-ups involve three or more vehicles in a chain reaction of collisions. They are common in heavy traffic or in low-visibility conditions such as dense fog, heavy rain, or snow. The initial impact sets off a series of subsequent crashes as following drivers are unable to stop in time.
Determining fault in a multi-car pile-up is incredibly complex. It usually involves multiple insurance companies, all trying to point the finger at someone else to avoid liability. It is difficult to determine which impact caused which injury, and you could find yourself being blamed by several other drivers involved in the wreck.
Our role is to protect you from unfair blame and to identify all responsible parties who contributed to the crash and your injuries.
How Is Liability Sorted Out?
We analyze the police report, which may offer an initial assessment of the sequence of events. We also work to interview every driver and witness involved to piece together a comprehensive timeline of the impacts.
In many cases, the driver who caused the first impact is considered the primary at-fault party. However, subsequent drivers who were following too closely or were otherwise driving negligently could also share in the liability for the collisions that followed. For complex pile-ups, an accident reconstructionist may be needed to analyze the physical evidence and provide an expert opinion on how the entire event unfolded.
Frequently Asked Questions About Car Accident Claims
How long do I have to file a car accident claim in New Hampshire?
In New Hampshire, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims is generally three years from the date of the accident. There are some exceptions to this rule, so you must understand the specific deadline that applies to your situation to avoid losing your right to compensation.
What if the other driver was uninsured or underinsured?
Your own auto insurance policy should include Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) coverage. This allows you to make a claim against your own insurance company to cover the damages that the at-fault driver’s policy cannot. This coverage is there to protect you in these exact situations.
Should I give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance adjuster?
It is generally not in your best interest to provide a recorded statement without first speaking to a car accident lawyer. Insurance adjusters are trained to ask questions in a way that may get you to say something that could damage your claim later. You have the right to have an attorney represent you in all communications with the other driver’s insurance company.
Do I have to go to court?
The vast majority of car accident cases are settled out of court through negotiations with the insurance company. However, we prepare every case as if it will go to trial. This approach ensures we are in the strongest possible negotiating position and are ready to take your case before a jury if the insurance company is not willing to offer a fair settlement.
Your Next Step Is a Simple Conversation
We understand the law, the insurance companies, and the tactics they use. We handle the legal process so you can focus on your recovery.
If you were injured in a car accident, call Coates Law Office today for a free consultation at (603) 262-5766.