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/ Car Accidents/ Rear-End Car Accidents
What are the most common types of car accidents? Rear-end collisions.
Rear-end car accidents occur when a vehicle crashes into the back of the automobile in front of it. They can happen anywhere—in parking lots, on the interstate, or at intersections—and victims can face severe injuries or property damage.
Regardless of the location or circumstances, even seemingly straightforward rear-end collisions can quickly become complicated. It’s in your best interest to contact an experienced Indianapolis rear-end collision lawyer to help you navigate the claims process.
In most cases, the driver who rear-ends the front vehicle is liable for damages. So, if you are rear-ended, the other party is likely at fault. However, there are some exceptions.
There are some circumstances in which the driver of the front vehicle could be partially or fully negligent for a rear-end collision. These situations could result in the lead driver taking some or all of the blame:
An attorney can help you determine how much, if at all, the front driver is to blame for the accident.
Sometimes, rear-end collisions involve more than two vehicles. Multi-car pileups, with three, four, or even more cars crashing into the vehicle in front of them, can be extremely dangerous for everyone involved.
Determining fault in a multi-vehicle rear-end collision is often difficult. For example, what if a driver leaves enough stopping distance but is then pushed into the vehicle in front by another car? Or, what if the driver at the very front was distracted and is partially to blame, but drivers in the other vehicles also behaved negligently?
Don’t go through the stress of proving negligence alone. Get an experienced car accident attorney on your side.
Rear-end collisions, like most car accidents, can be caused in a number of different ways:
Both irresponsible behavior and conditions outside anyone’s control can lead to a rear-end collision.
Injuries after car accidents are common, but symptoms may not show up right away. It’s important to see a doctor after a car accident, even if you think you don’t need to.
In a crash, victims often experience injuries to the neck, back, and spine due to the amount of force on their bodies during the impact. Whiplash, or soft tissue damage to the neck, is one of the more popular injuries associated with rear-end collisions. Soft tissue damage to the spine or back is also common.
If a victim’s head strikes the steering wheel, airbag, window, headrest, or flying debris, head trauma like a concussion or traumatic brain injury (TBI) can occur. Symptoms of head trauma vary widely but can include loss of consciousness, fatigue, dizziness, blurred vision, headaches, slurred speech, memory loss, or sensitivity to sound and light.
Broken glass, loose objects, flying debris, or dashboard fragments may hit the driver and any passengers during a rear-end collision, leading to lacerations. While mild cuts and scrapes may not need significant treatment, severe lacerations could require stitches or result in an infection.
Bone fractures and brakes—such as to the bones in the legs, arms, wrists, fingers, ankles, or ribs—are one of the most common injuries suffered in car accidents. These injuries are usually very painful and can take a long time to heal.
The reality is that rear-end collisions are often the result of bad luck or a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time on the part of the front driver; there’s not much anyone can do to avoid being rear-ended.
On the other hand, there are some ways to avoid rear-ending other vehicles:
Keep these best practices in mind while driving to help avoid causing an accident.
After a rear-end collision, whether you caused the accident or were rear-ended by someone else, follow these steps:
Determining liability, navigating the claims process, and seeking compensation for damages can be overwhelming. Find an experienced car accident attorney to be your advocate in the claims process.
If you or a loved one have been injured in a rear-end car accident, contact the Indianapolis car accident lawyers of Wilson Kehoe Winingham. The lawyers at WKW can help you and your family fight for the compensation you deserve. Call 317.920.6400 or fill out an online contact form for a free, no-obligation case evaluation.
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