Car accidents are all too common on Virginia roads. Although car accidents can take many forms, there are some types of crashes that tend to occur more frequently than others. The dedicated car accident attorneys at Arrington Schelin have more than 40 years of experience investigating all types of wrecks. We are committed to helping crash victims recover financially and physically after devastating accidents.
Contact our firm today for a free initial case review to learn how an experienced attorney can help with your case.
What Are the Common Types of Car Accidents in Virginia?
Some of the common types of car accidents our team investigates include:
Head-on collisions
Head-on collisions are one of the most dangerous types of car accidents. The forces involved in a head-on collision can result in catastrophic and life-altering injuries for car occupants.
Head-on collisions most frequently occur when a driver drifts or veers over the center dividing line or the median into the path of oncoming traffic. The driver may be intoxicated, distracted, or feeling drowsy or fatigued. Head-on collisions also happen when a vehicle travels the wrong way down a one-way street.
Rear-end collisions
Rear-end collisions happen when a vehicle fails to slow down or come to a stop when approaching slow or stopped traffic. Rear-end collisions most frequently occur at red lights or stop signs, although they also happen on highways in heavy or gridlock traffic.
Common causes of rear-end collisions include speeding, tailgating, driving too fast for road or weather conditions, distracted driving, drowsy/fatigued driving, and driving under the influence.
Sideswipe collisions
In a sideswipe collision, the side of one vehicle bumps or impacts the side of another car. Sideswipe collisions frequently occur on the highway when the at-fault driver tries to change lanes without signaling or checking mirrors and blind spots to verify that the lane next to them is clear.
While a bump may only lead to some vehicle damage, a sideswipe collision at highway speed can cause the drivers involved to lose control of their cars and spin out, creating a potentially devastating accident.
Left-turn accidents
Left-turn accidents most frequently occur when a left-turning vehicle fails to signal or fails to yield to oncoming traffic. The at-fault driver may misjudge the distance and speed of oncoming traffic and mistakenly think that they can safely complete the turn. Failing to use the indicator means that other traffic on the road may not expect the at-fault driver to make a left turn.
T-bone accidents and intersection collisions
In a T-bone accident, the front of one car impacts the side of another car at a perpendicular angle, such that both vehicles form a “T” shape at impact. T-bone accidents often lead to serious injuries for the occupants of the car that is “T-boned,” or hit on its side. That’s because cars can have less impact protection on their sides compared to the front and rear of the vehicle. T-bone accidents and other intersection collisions most frequently occur when the at-fault driver disregards a red light, stop sign, or yield sign.
Rollover accidents
Rollover accidents involve a car flipping onto its side or roof, or in more severe accidents, flipping or tumbling over multiple times. Rollover accidents can be triggered when a car is sideswiped or clipped on its rear fender, causing the driver to lose control. Rollovers also frequently result from tire blowouts or tread separations. Finally, cars may suffer a rollover accident in slippery road conditions.
Multi-vehicle accidents and pileups
A multi-vehicle accident involves two or more vehicles, while the term “pileup” is often used to refer to multi-vehicle accidents involving at least five vehicles. Most multi-vehicle and pileup accidents involve a domino-effect or chain-reaction of collisions, where an impact between two vehicles causes one or both vehicles to veer into a collision with other cars.
Highway accidents
Unfortunately, some of the most devastating car crashes happen on highways, where vehicles travel at much faster speeds. The increased speeds of vehicles on the highway mean that the occupants of cars involved in these crashes are subjected to much more violent forces that can lead to severe or even life-threatening injuries. Sadly, accidents regularly occur on many of the highways in Southwest Virginia, including on I-81, I-77, U.S. 21, U.S. 221, and U.S. 58.
Uninsured accidents
Drivers are generally required to have liability insurance coverage that meets certain minimum amounts. Virginia law requires all auto insurance policies to provide uninsured motorist coverage in an amount of at least $25,000 per person/$50,000 per accident in bodily injury/death liability coverage and $20,000 in property damage liability coverage. In many auto policies, uninsured motorist coverage limits equal the policyholder’s own liability coverage.
When a person is injured in a car accident caused by an uninsured driver, the victim may be able to turn to his or her own insurance policy for compensation. With uninsured motorist coverage, your insurance company effectively steps into the shoes of the insurance that the at-fault driver should have had.
Hit-and-run accidents
Obtaining compensation for injuries suffered in a hit-and-run accident can be difficult, as it can take time for police and investigators to identify and track down the hit-and-run driver. However, if a fleeing driver who caused an accident ultimately cannot be identified, those injured in the crash may be able to seek compensation through the uninsured motorist coverage in their own car insurance policy. A hit-and-run driver is treated the same as an uninsured driver.
How We Investigate Car Accidents
At Arrington Schelin, we investigate car crashes by gathering and analyzing a wide variety of evidence, including:
- Police accident reports
- Accident scene photos
- Vehicle examination reports
- Vehicle repair reports
- Vehicle electronic data recorder (“black box”) logs
- Traffic camera, surveillance camera, or dashcam footage
- Eyewitness testimony
- Accident reconstruction expert reports and testimony
- Medical records from the treatment of your injuries
Our Virginia Car Accident Lawyers Are Here to Help
When you deserve financial recovery for injuries caused by a negligent driver, the Virginia car accident lawyers of Arrington Schelin can help you by:
- Thoroughly investigating the accident, including documenting the crash scene itself, speaking to witnesses, and recovering records and documents from the wreck
- Explaining your rights and legal options, including making sure you know what to expect at every stage of your case so that you are empowered to make the best decisions for you
- Collaborating with expert witnesses, when necessary, to help build a strong, persuasive argument that shows how the crash happened and who caused it
- Documenting your expenses and losses so that we can pursue fair and full compensation for you
- Filing your claim with the insurance companies and aggressively negotiating for maximum compensation through a car accident settlement
- Filing a lawsuit and pursuing your case at trial, if necessary, to give you the best chance at recovering the most compensation possible under the law
If you have been hurt in a wreck, contact us online or call Arrington Schelin today for a free, no-obligation consultation with a Virginia car accident lawyer. We represent crash victims in Bristol, Marion, Norton, Abingdon, Tazewell, Wise, Lebanon, Grundy, and throughout Southwest Virginia and East Tennessee.