Personal injury is a diverse area of law that encompasses everything from medical malpractice and product liability to traffic accidents. Even in the realm of motor vehicle accidents, personal injury attorneys handle a wide range of cases involving complex state and federal laws and regulations. 

Below are some of the most common types of cases that car accident lawyers may handle. 

Head-on Collisions

Head-on collisions are among the most dangerous types of crashes. They happen when two vehicles traveling in opposite directions crash front-first into each other. These accidents often result in severe injuries or fatalities due to the force of impact.

Common causes include:

• Distracted or drowsy driving
• Drunk driving
• Wrong-way driving
• Reckless passing on two-lane roads
• Poor road design

These collisions often result in catastrophic injuries. Sometimes, these crashes involve municipal or state government liability. Dangerous road design or maintenance may contribute to wrong-way driving and unsafe passing. 

Side-Impact Collisions

Side-impact collisions, also known as T-bone crashes, occur when one vehicle strikes the side of another. These crashes usually happen at intersections.

Common causes include:

• Running red lights or stop signs
• Failing to yield the right of way
• Distracted driving

Because the sides of vehicles have less protection than the front or rear, side-impact crashes often cause serious injuries. 

Rear-End Collisions

A rear-end collision happens when one vehicle crashes into the back of another. These accidents are common in heavy, stop-and-go traffic or when drivers follow too closely.

Leading causes include:

• Distracted driving
• Sudden stops
• Tailgating
• Weather conditions

Even at low speeds, rear-end crashes can cause painful injuries like whiplash, back injuries, and concussions. 

To recover maximum compensation for clients, car accident lawyers may need to overcome the myth that low-speed accidents without property damage can’t cause injuries. This idea, often perpetuated by insurance companies and assumed by juries, is demonstrably false. Expert testimony may be needed to fight this bias. 

Sideswipe Accidents

Sideswipe accidents occur when two vehicles traveling in the same direction make contact. Common causes include:

• Distracted driving
• Failing to signal lane changes
• Road rage or aggressive driving
• Drowsy driving
• Drunk driving

While some sideswipe accidents cause only cosmetic damage, others can lead to rollovers or crashes with other vehicles.

Rollover Accidents

Rollovers happen when a vehicle tips over onto its side or roof. These accidents are more common with SUVs, trucks, and vehicles with a high center of gravity.

Factors that may contribute to a rollover include: 

• Sharp turns at high speeds
• Tripping over curbs or obstacles
• Tire blowouts
• Driver overcorrection

Rollovers can result in severe injuries, including crushed limbs, spinal cord injuries, and fatalities. They have one of the highest fatality rates of all types of collisions. 

Multi-Vehicle Accidents

Multi-vehicle accidents involve three or more cars. They often occur on highways and in heavy traffic, where one collision sets off a chain reaction.

Common causes include:

• Poor visibility
• Speeding
• Tailgating
• Sudden braking

These cases can be complicated because multiple drivers may share responsibility. A car accident lawyer may work with an accident reconstruction expert to determine the chain of events, causation, and how liability should be distributed. 

Hit-And-Run Accidents

A hit-and-run accident happens when a driver flees the scene without stopping to help or provide information. Victims often struggle to recover damages if the at-fault driver is never found. 

Many hit-and-run crashes involve fatalities. In 2022, about 25% of all pedestrian deaths in the U.S. involved hit-and-run accidents. 

Common hit-and-run situations include:

• Pedestrians struck in crosswalks
• Bicyclists hit by careless drivers
• Drunk drivers fleeing to avoid arrest
• Unlicensed and/or uninsured drivers fleeing the consequences

In many cases, victims can seek compensation through their own uninsured motorist coverage. A car accident attorney may help clients identify the at-fault driver or pursue compensation through their own policy. 

DUI Accidents

Driving while impaired reduces reaction time and affects judgment and coordination. Drunk driving is a leading cause of fatal crashes. According to the NHTSA, 32% of all traffic fatalities in 2022 involved drunk driving. 

Car accident lawyers help victims of DUI accidents seek compensation from the at-fault driver. These cases often qualify for punitive damages if they go to trial. A lawyer may also help the victim pursue compensation from the bar or restaurant that served the drunk driver under Dram shop laws. 

Fatal Accidents

When a car crash results in death, a car accident lawyer can help the victim’s family recover damages through a wrongful death lawsuit. These cases seek compensation for funeral expenses, lost income, and other losses.

Wrongful death damages vary by state. Some states allow families to recover compensation for their loved one’s pain and suffering before death or the family’s loss of consortium. 

Truck Accidents

Accidents involving large trucks can be catastrophic. Due to their size and weight, trucks can cause severe damage to smaller vehicles and devastating injuries to their occupants. 

These types of accidents are complex and require thorough investigation. Large insurance policies are usually involved, and multiple parties may be found liable, including the driver, trucking company, cargo loader, and truck manufacturer. 

Car accident lawyers who handle truck accident cases must be familiar with trucking industry regulations under the FMCSA and state agencies. Drivers are subjected to many regulations, including hours-of-service rules. 

Accidents Involving Pedestrians And Bicyclists

Pedestrians and cyclists are at high risk of car accidents because they have little protection. Even low-speed collisions can cause life-threatening or fatal injuries. Pedestrian deaths recently reached a 40-year high in the United States. 

A car accident lawyer can help injury victims recover compensation from the at-fault party. These cases can be complex as pedestrians and cyclists may share liability for an accident. 

Accidents Caused By Defective Car Parts

Sometimes, a crash happens not because of driver error but due to faulty vehicle parts. Common examples include: 

• Brakes. In 2023, Honda recalled about 125,000 vehicles for an issue that may cause brake failure. Five years before, 65,000 vehicles were recalled for a rear brake caliper manufacturing error. 
• Tires. Over 170,000 Goodyear tires were recalled in 2023 due to a high rate of premature failure. 
• Airbags. Over 67 million Takata airbags installed in tens of millions of vehicles have been recalled. The airbags have caused at least 28 deaths and 400 injuries after exploding with excessive force and causing shrapnel to fly into the passenger cabin. 
• Seatbelts. Issues like retractor malfunction, inertial unlatching, and false latching can cause a seatbelt to fail when it’s most needed. 
• Steering systems. Recent recalls include 370,000 Teslas for power steering issues and 1.7 million Honda vehicles for faulty steering gearbox assemblies.

Manufacturers can be held responsible for injuries caused by defective auto parts. A lawyer can help victims file product liability claims against the car manufacturer or parts supplier.

Contact a Car Accident Attorney For Help

Car accident cases are not as straightforward as they may seem. Car accident attorneys navigate complex and overlapping areas of law, including federal regulations, sovereign immunity, and product liability.