In Georgia, the majority of car crashes are front-impact, side-impact, rear-end, or parking lot crashes. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety provides several tips for avoiding all four of these collisions, which are summarized below.
First, front-impact crashes are largely the result of drivers being careless in bad weather and road conditions or being inattentive to the road. To avoid these crashes, drivers should slow down on wet, icy, or snowy roads and keep away from their phones and other sources of distraction. Even simple activities like eating or talking with a passenger can be distracting.
Side-impact crashes can occur when two cars are running parallel to each other, in which case they are called sideswipes. These can be avoided if drivers check their blind spots before changing lanes. The second type of side-impact crash is the T-bone, which often happens in intersections. Drivers should not speed past yellow lights or cross intersections without looking both ways.
To prevent a rear-end incident, drivers need to remain patient in heavy traffic and never speed or tailgate. So that they themselves are not rear-ended, drivers should move to the right lane to let tailgaters pass. Lastly, drivers can stay safe backing out of parking spaces if they check their surroundings prior to getting into their vehicles.
One may incur auto accident injuries in any of these four types of collisions. Under personal injury law, victims of a crash can file a claim and be eligible for damages as long as they are less than 50% at fault. Even when they are eligible, though, they may not be able to achieve the settlement they want with the insurance companies. This is why victims may want to hire a lawyer. If negotiations are not successful, the lawyer might take the case to court.
