Why Low Speed Accidents Can Still Cause Serious Injuries

Different types of motor vehicle accidents come with their own risk factors. A low-speed or low-impact collision may cause less property damage than a high-speed crash but studies have shown that soft-tissue injuries and other potential lasting damage are still a serious concern.

If you have been injured in a low-speed accident, do not let the at-fault insurance company bully you into giving up on a settlement. If you were injured in a low-impact crash, contact a personal injury lawyer for help.

What is a low-speed car accident?

A low-speed car accident typically describes a crash that occurs under 10 miles per hour. Most of the time, there is little to no damage to the vehicle but the potential for serious injuries to the body is there.

Common low-speed crash scenarios:

• A car in a parking lot crashing into a car as it backs out of a spot.
• A car that comes to a stop and then rear-ends the car in front of them because they believe it is safe to move forward*.
• A car rear-ends a vehicle at a stop sign or stop light because they did not come to a complete stop in time*.

*The second two examples are types of low-speed rear-impact car accidents.

Challenges with low-speed accidents

Apart from the risk of injuries, low-speed accidents can be very stressful because insurance companies will often try to deny claims outright due to the lack of or minimal property damage. Their excuse may be that it’s not possible that your injuries were a result of the accident when there is little to no damage to your vehicle. In many cases, the only way to get the at-fault insurance company to pay for your medical bills and pain and suffering settlement is to hire an experienced car accident lawyer who can negotiate on your behalf.

Low-speed collisions can still cause serious injuries

Rear-end low-impact injuries happen on a regular basis. That’s because, even in accidents where vehicles were traveling at 5 miles per hour, a sudden rear impact to a vehicle can cause an occupant’s neck to whip backward and then forward with the force of the impact. The neck can whip back and forth at a higher acceleration than the acceleration of the vehicle, which causes significantly more injury to the occupants than to the vehicle itself. This type of injury is known as whiplash. Other issues can also occur in “low-impact” crashes, including herniated disks that can lead to chronic pain, weakness, numbness or tingling, and reduced function that can linger for months to years.

It has been claimed that 85 percent of the neck injuries caused by car accidents are the result of rear-end collisions and that 10-15 percent of those who suffer from soft tissue injuries after car accidents are never able to achieve a full functional recovery. In some cases, surgery is required.

Seek the help of a car accident attorney

If you or a loved one was injured in a collision because of the negligence of another, contact a personal injury lawyer to discuss your legal rights. Let an experienced car accident attorney fight for the full compensation that you deserve. It is not uncommon to receive a settlement from the insurance company that is five to ten times larger with the help of a lawyer. Call the personal injury lawyers at Tario & Associates, P.S. in Bellingham, WA today for a FREE consultation! We have been representing residents of Whatcom County, Skagit County, Island County and Snohomish County since 1979. You will pay nothing up front and no attorney fees at all unless we recover damages for you!

Head-On Crash on Birch Bay-Lynden Road Leads to Explosion and Reckless Driving Charge

As reported by Whatcom-News.com, on Sunday, January 9, first responders were dispatched to the area of Birch Bay-Lynden Road and Rathbone Road in response to a car versus semi-truck crash. When responders arrived, they found the semi-truck and its trailer in flames and the passenger car about 300 feet away with its engine separated from the body of the car. A field of debris around the scene of the accident indicated that there had been at least one large explosion in the head-on crash.

NWFR team members had to extricate the driver of the car who was then transported to PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center under advanced life support protocol with possible broken bones. The driver of the semi-truck was uninjured, though the truck and trailer were completely destroyed.

An investigation by Washington State Patrol Troopers (WSP) found initial indications that the semi-truck had been traveling westbound on Birch Bay-Lynden Road and the car had been traveling eastbound when they crashed into each other. The car crossed over the centerline and crashed head-on with the semi-truck.

The driver of the car was charged with reckless driving by the WSP.

What is reckless driving in Washington State?

As per RCW 46.61.500 (effective January 1, 2022), any person who drives any vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property is guilty of reckless driving. Violation of the provisions of this section is a gross misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to three hundred sixty-four days and by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars.

What is a head-on crash?

One of the scariest types of collisions a person can be involved in is a head-on crash. This type of accident happens when the front-end of two vehicles collide, most commonly on a road with no median to stop the vehicles from crossing lanes. According to data gathered by the Fatal Analysis Reporting System in 1999, 75 percent of head-on accidents occurred on un-divided two-lane roads.

Common causes of head-on collisions

• Rural roads, neighborhood roads and other roads that lack a median meant to stop vehicles from crossing over into the opposing lane
• Poor construction-zone redirecting
• Distracted driving
• Failure to maintain vehicle control, failing to pass or overtake another vehicle
• Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol or when fatigued
• Poor weather conditions such as ice
• Breaking traffic rules or ignoring traffic signs and signals
• Being unfamiliar with the area can cause confusion and lead to a driver turning down a one-way road and crashing head-on into another vehicle

The exact cause of the driver crossing over the median and crashing head-on with the semi-truck is unclear but these common causes offer some insight into what may have led up to the crash.

Seek the help of a car accident attorney

If you or a loved one was injured in a collision because of the negligence of another, contact a personal injury lawyer to discuss your legal rights. Let an experienced car accident attorney fight for the full compensation that you deserve. It is not uncommon to receive a settlement from the insurance company that is five to ten times larger with the help of a lawyer. Call the personal injury lawyers at Tario & Associates, P.S. in Bellingham, WA today for a FREE consultation! We have been representing residents of Whatcom County, Skagit County, Island County and Snohomish County since 1979. You will pay nothing up front and no attorney fees at all unless we recover damages for you!

Fatal Vehicle Vs Pedestrian Accident on Guide Meridian Leads to Arrest for Vehicular Homicide

A fatal vehicle vs pedestrian accident on the Guide Meridian (SR539), south of Beard Road, occurred on January 4, 2022. As reported by whatcom-news.com, the accident left the right lane blocked for some time as first responders responded to the scene of the accident about 12:40 p.m.

According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, a 2002 Ford F150 pickup was driving southbound on the Guide towing a 2001 Chrysler Town and Country van using a tow strap. When the strap disconnected, both vehicles came to a stop. The driver of the towed vehicle got out to replace the strap. Instead of waiting, the Ford continued driving southbound and the unoccupied Chrysler crashed into the man that was outside the vehicle – killing him. The victim was declared dead at the scene.

(more…)

Tesla Recalls 475,00 cars for Increased Risk of Accidents

After discovering two safety issues that may increase the risk of accidents, Tesla is recalling more than 475,000 cars. The two defects were caused by design or design manufacturing problems and the separate recalls were filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) at the end of December.

Defective products kill or injure thousands of Americans every year. In 2020 alone, almost 11 million people were treated in emergency departments for injuries they suffered after using consumer products. If you or a loved one was injured as a result of a defective product, contact a personal injury lawyer to discuss your legal options.

(more…)

NSC: New Year’s Day Holiday Period Traffic Fatality Estimate for 2022

The National Safety Council estimates that 427 people will die in traffic accidents on U.S. roads this New Year’s Day holiday period and an additional 48,700 will suffer an injury severe enough to require medical attention; these estimates represent an 11.2 percent increase over last year’s estimates. With Omicron spreading at such a rapid pace, it’s a little hard to say how many people will avoid getting together with friends and family. Those who do choose to celebrate with others are most likely to drive – which is the most dangerous way to travel – especially with the alcohol involved with most New Year’s parties. More people traveling on the roads combined with more people consuming alcohol, leads to increased traffic accident deaths year after year.

(more…)

Snow Shoveling Causes More than 11,000 Injuries and 100 Fatalities Each Year

The Pacific Northwest has been hit with a snow storm and very cold temperatures. With more snow and continued freezing temperatures in the forecast, there will be snowy roads and driveways for at least a week. As people get outside to shovel their sidewalks and driveways, they should know to be very careful. Data published by pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov reveals that there are about 11,500 injuries each year from shoveling snow, including 100 fatalities.

(more…)

Two Dead in I-5 Icy Road Accidents This week

According to data from USDOT Federal Highway Administration, there are an average of 536,731 icy road accidents every year. Out of these accidents, about 1,836 people die and 136,309 more are injured. NOAA records accident fatalities for a range of weather-related accidents such as flood, wind and cold but not for icy roads. If they did, they would find that the average icy road fatality count is 3.6 times the total deaths from all other weather hazards combined (507 combined deaths over a 10-year average compared to 1,836 for ice alone). See chart at icyroadsafety.com.

If you or a loved one was injured in an icy road accident, seek the help of a car accident attorney as soon as possible. You deserve to be made whole for your injuries with a fair settlement and an attorney can help.

(more…)

Determining Fault in A Winter Driving Accident

No matter the season, car accidents can leave a wake of injuries and fatalities. Winter weather, however, is most likely to contribute to the risk of accidents because wet, icy, or snowy conditions make the roads more slippery. When an accident happens under winter weather road conditions, it can make the determination of fault a little bit more confusing. While wet and slippery roads do make it harder to drive, drivers are expected to adapt to road conditions to make up for the hazards so they can remain in control of their vehicle.

(more…)

Top 5 Tips for Driving in Heavy Traffic

With the Christmas holidays just around the corner, many will be traveling to visit their family members. If you live in the Whatcom County area, you may have family in Seattle or other high-traffic cities that you will need to pass through to get to your destination. Most people have dealt with many traffic jams in their lives. Even in Bellingham, a car accident can snarl the I-5 for hours. Heavy traffic is always frustrating and it can increase the risk of car accidents.

While heavy road congestion may not be as dangerous as drunk or distracted driving, it is a significant factor in traffic accidents when combined with unsafe driving behaviors. In 2014, a research team at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill estimated that one in every four fatal traffic accidents occurred during “rush hour” traffic. In addition, research from the NHTSA showed that the evening rush hour between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. in many large urban cities was the most dangerous time of day as drivers rush home from work.

(more…)

First Half of 2021 Sees Largest Ever Traffic Fatality Increase in FARS History

In a perfect world, motor vehicle accidents and traffic fatality rates would drop every year. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case and this year we experienced a big jump.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released the Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities for the First Half (January-June) of 2021 in October. Sadly, it shows the largest six-month increase ever recorded in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System’s (FARS) history. An estimated 20,160 people died in motor vehicle crashes in the first half of 2021, up a whopping 18.4 percent over that period in 2020. That’s the highest number of projected accident fatalities in that six-month window since 2006.

(more…)