By Matt Lalande in Car Accidents on June 18, 2022
In reviewing our cases over the years, there approximately thirteen typical types of road traffic accidents that we see time and time again, which we explore in better detail below.
If you or a loved have been involved in a serious car accident, then you know just how frightening it can be.
In this blog post, we’ll take a look at these 13 of the most common car accidents, how they happen, and what you should do if you or someone you know has suffered life-altering injuries in a car accident, or even worse has been involvedd in a fatal car accident.
Remember if you live in Hamilton or throughout Southern Ontario, reach out to Hamilton’s Top Car Accident Lawyers at Lalande Personal Injury Lawyers. Our personal injury lawyers never charge new clients to talk, we can investigate your case and inform you of all your legal options. Contact us today at 1-844-LALANDE or local throughout Southern Ontario at 905-333-8888 to schedule a free, initial consultation of your case.
The single car accident is a type of road traffic accident in which only one vehicle is involved. The majority of these types of accidents are run-off-road collisions, collisions with fallen debris such as the branch of a tree falling onto your car or in front of the driver. Vehicles may roll-over, normally because the driver is driving too fast for the road conditions;. In Ontario, single car accidents are commonly caused by collisions with deer on the highway. Single car accidents may also be due to sleep deprivation, drowsiness or brake failure. In most cases, if single car accidents happen on Ontario highways, the outcome could be devastating and terribly catastrophic for the driver – requiring extensive access to no-fault (accide1. nt) benefits.
The multiple vehicle collision involves three or more vehicles which are involved in a chain of events or from a single event. These types of car accidents can range from minimal to extremely large, and may result in a lot of confusion and often include a serious car accident injury, multiple injuries, and/or fatalities.
Roll over car accidents are complex and almsot always violent in nature. More than any other type of crash, rollovers reflect the interaction of the driver, road, vehicle, and environmental factors. Although a vehicle’s type has a significant role in the accident, so does driver behavior and road and environmental conditions. Other fac-tors include speed, alcohol consumption, and location. According to the research data, it shows that nearly 85% of all rollover-related fatalities are the result of single vehicle crashes and this data also reports that 2.3% of car accidents are rollovers. Our perosnal injuiry lawyers have seen that non-belted, ejected occupants are at extremely severe risk for serious injury and fatality in roll-over crashes. For belted occupants in a rollover crash, the amount of headroom is one of the most important factors influencing the likelihood of the person’s head-to-roof/window/ground impact during the crash. If you have been involved in a roll-over accident, you will need a personal injury lawyer to help recover the compensation you or your loved one deserves.
A Rear end collision is a type of automobile accident which in most cases can be avoided. In Ontario, the Ministry of Transportation reported in 2019 that rear-end crashes account for around 40% of accidents. Rear end crashes are usually found to be caused by drivers not attending to or by being distracted while driving. This accounts for an accident occurring while using a mobile device, tailgating and causing panic stops. Also, reduced traction due to irregular road conditions caused by poor weather conditions further increases the risk of rear-end crashes. Despite most rear-end car accidents being mostly benign type crashes, our car accident lawyers have represented victims who have suffered serious injuries and families of victims of fatal accidents. For example, in one car accident case, our perosnal injury lawyers represented the family of a victim who died when the rear compartmental area collapsed. The victim was in the back seat and suffered a serious head injury – and later died. In another case, a car accident front passenger victim suffered cervical neck fractures. A rear end crash can be devastating, depending on many factors.
Side impact collisions also known in various parts of the world as t-bone or broadside collisions, occur when the side of one or more vehicles is impacted by another car – at a greater angle than that of a sideswipe. These types of car accidents commonly happen at intersections. T-bone or broadside car accidents are the cause of major orthopedic injuries – particularly pelvic area, hip and knee fractures.
Side swipe collisions can occur whether a driver is travelling on a country road or a highway. These types of crashes happen when the sides of two vehicles, going the same direction, make contact with each other. They are known to happen mostly when driving alongside another vehicle, one or other driver becomes distracted and causes one driver to leave his or her lane of travel, drift from their lane into the other. This can result in anything from a minor bump to a complete write off. When sideswipe accidents happen at high speed – the results can be absolutely devastating and you will need a personal injury lawyer to help investigtate your claim.
Head-on collisions are common car accidents that happen mainly in intersections and on two-way roads. Head-on car crashes happen when vehicles that driving in opposite directions crash front to front. Any car accident can cause injury, but Ontario accident statistics show that head-on collisions are even more likely to result in serious injury or fatality to occupants in either vehicle. Normally head-on craashes are caused when one motorist is on the wrong side of the road. Often, it’s because of driver swerving and not paying attention, motorists falling asleep, drivers that are impair or drivers that are distracted, drivers that execute unsafe passing, drowsy driving, or some other kind of confusion behind the wheel like an elderly person who accidentally enters a highway in the wrong direction.
The incidence of impaired driving crashes in Ontario or on a downward trend since 2011. Unfortunately, in 2019 impaired driving rates increased by 19%. Impaired driving rates also increased in 2020 in 2021, presumably because of the legalization of cannabis. Statistics Canada has reported that in 2019, there was a 43% increase in drug impaired driving than the year prior. It’s also been reported that alcohol impaired driving typically peaks on weekends and late evenings however the drug impaired driving rates vary little from one time of day to the other. Most impaired drivers were reported to be men and young adults.
There is no doubt impedes and decreases cognitive efficiency even in small quantities – and when impaired driving accidents happen, they happen at a devastating cost. Impaired driving accidents are totally preventable yet every year, thousands of motorists, bicyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists are killed or seriously injured in impaired driving accidents.
Distracted driving car accidents happen when a driver’s attention is taken from the road because of another task that they’re focused on. Typically, distracted driving car accidents are caused by individuals texting or using mobile devices while driving. It’s been reported that in up to one and four car accidents are caused by texting and driving. Answering a text can take your eyes away from the road or your attention from driving, for about five seconds. Travelling at 90 km an hour, that is about the length of an entire football field. Although it seems like a short amount of time, it is certainly enough time to make a fatal mistake. Recent reports have indicated that age is not a factor when texting and driving. The amount of fines in Ontario provided to drivers texting and driving ranged from 16 years old, to 70 years old. Distracted driving no doubt endangers and is a tremendously hazardous activity that should be avoided at all costs.
Hit and run accidents in Ontario require a tremendous amount of investigation. These types of car accidents, involving by law what is noted as “and unidentified motorist” are complicated as they involve claims against one’s own insurance company who “stands in” for the at-fault driver. When a person that is injured by a vehicle that flees the scene, a lawsuit cannot technically be brought against the driver that left as he or she is left unidentified. The perfect example is when a child of a parent is hit by a car that leaved the scene. In most cases, a claim is brought against the parent’s car insurer who will stand-in for the at-fault driver’s car insurer, by way of specific endorsement. Technically, a claim by a person injured by an at-fault driver can be advanced against a car they own (OAP s. 5.3.1); a car their spouse owns (OAP s. 5.3.1) or a car of any person to whom they would be considered a “dependent relative”; (OAP s. 5.3.1 with certain limitations OAP s. 5.3.2).
A chain reaction car accident is when three or more cars are involved in a series of rear-end crashes that normally occur as a result of the force of the first collision. The biggest problem with chain reaction claims is proving fault – particularly when there is bad weather, road issues, construction, visual impediments, drivers are distracted, driving too fast for road conditions or weather conditions. Chain reactions are known to commonly occur on highway 400, north of Toronto particularly during the deep winter season r busy cottage season. Chain reaction car accidents can be extremely difficult from a liability perspective. It’s best you retain the assistance of our Hamilton car accident lawyers if you or a loved one has been hurt in a chain reaction type car accident.
In Ontario, the failure to yield occurs when one driver failed to yield the right of way to another (or other) drivers or pedestrians when entering an intersection after either stopping at a stop sign or when entering a road from another road or driveway. In most cases, fail to yield car accidents happen when a driver fails to keep a proper lookout when entering into an intersection.
Failure to yield to traffic often occurs in left-turn intersection cases. Our Court of Appeal has states that there is a a very heavy onus is placed upon a driver making a left-hand turn. He or she may turn into the path of approaching traffic only after having assured himself or herself that he or she can do so in safety. This stems from S.141(5) of the Highway Traffic Act, which notes that: “No driver or operator of a vehicle in an intersection shall turn left across the path of a vehicle approaching from the opposite direction unless he or she has afforded a reasonable opportunity to the driver or operator of the approaching vehicle to avoid a collision“. We have dealt with many car accident cases like this over the years. Left hand turn cases are often difficult to navigate in terms of liability. Although there is a heavy onus placed on the driver turning left, the driver going through the intersection can also be contributorily liable for the accident – oncoming drivers must take reasonable care to avoid an accident at all costs.
Low-speed collisions, or low impact collisions, referred to car accidents which occur under 40 km an hour and is another common cause of serious injury. While it’s true that high speed impact collisions and high-impact forces can cause life-changing critical injuries, the truth is, so can low-speed collisions. Seemingly harmless low-speed car crash is absolutely capable of producing damaging forces to the head and neck area, in particular. Crashes as low as 35 to 40 km an hour can cause hyperextension of the cervical thoracic spine, in turn causing disk herniations and other spinal related difficulties. It’s also been shown by various studies that when a driver or occupant’s head is turned, the pattern of tissue injury is potentially much more severe. Obviously, someone suffering from degenerative joint disease or spinal stenosis to start with has the potential for more severe injury because the neck area is quite less resistant.
While it’s true that car fenders and bumpers are designed to avoid or reduce damage and low-speed collisions, these are not the safety devices that prevent or reduce injuries to people in cars. Conversely, insurance companies and defence lawyers will always try and present evidence that the forces involved in a low-speed car accident are no different than a person sneezing or jumping off a chair. Insurance companies will to dispel the notion that a low impact collision can cause an injury and a lot of the times, unfortunately, that type of testimony and opinion is often untrue and misleading.
Low impact or low-speed automobile accidents can also cause very serious injuries to plaintiffs. Our car accident personal injury lawyers have dealt with a wrongful death which occurred at less than 10 km an hour. We have also represented various children who were seriously hurt by slow moving vehicles while riding their bicycles. We have also represented adults who have been hit at low-speed by cars that fail to stop at posted stop signs. Many of which, suffered very serious orthopedic knee, femur and hip injuries.
Car accident injuries can be devastating and change lives. One moment, an individual could be independent and active, enjoying a career in the family. The next minute, they could be rendered so injured in an auto accident that they need to depend on others to care for them for the remainder of their lives. Even worse, many pedestrians and cyclists in Ontario lose their lives every week as a result of negligent drivers.
There’s no doubt many variables which will affect the compensation that you or your family deserves – factors such as the extent of injury, the extent of future care requirements, the extent of your loved ones lack of housekeeping capacity and ability to care for his or her home, whether or not they will need attendant care in the future, whether or not they will need therapy and ongoing medication, whether or not there is an economic loss – meaning the injured person is no longer to bring the wages home that year she did prior to the motor vehicle accident.
It’s very important that you speak to one of our Hamilton car accident lawyers if you have been involved in a car accident. Automobile insurance law in Ontario is extremely complex and if your loved one is been hurt, it’s important that you retain an experienced lawyer with particular focus on car accident law. Do not try to fight this battle alone. You need a personal injury lawyer who can help.
Our Hamilton car accident lawyers serve victims all over Ontario. Matt Lalande represented thousands of victims and recovered tens of millions of dollars over the past 20 years. Call Lalande Personal Injury Lawyers today to talk about your personal injury case. We never charge new clients to talk about their issues. Our consultations are free. And if we decide to work together, the fee is free. You only pay when and if we win your case.
Call us today at 1-844-LALANDE or local throughout Southern Ontario at 905-333-8888. Alternatively, you can send us a confidential email through our website about your car accident and we will be happy to get back to you as soon as possible.
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I was a dental hygienist that suffers from really bad scoliosis. My insurance company ignored my doc & cut my benefits off & told me I could do “something”. Matt got me CPP Disability and and LTD settlement – I don’t know what I would have done without him.
My daughter was killed by a drunk driver and it forever changed all of our lives. It seemed that for two years time stopped. This was no an easy journey. Matt let me sit in on the discovery of the driver and boy, he never let up. In the end, our grand-daughter was taken care of and we were compensated for our loss – which we then donated to a cause we believed in.
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