High Speed Car Collision
Jamil Estorninos
High-speed car chases, which ultimately end up in collision, are good to see in the movies. But when youre actually on it, either as driver or passenger, the party at fault or the victim, its not good to see at all.
The news
Just last month, the Los Angeles Daily News reported a man who ends up dead due to a high-speed car collision in 405 Freeway. Witnesses said they saw the man drive at a high speed while weaving in and out of traffic. After the accident, the 52-year-old man had to be extracted from his vehicle. He died in the hospital.
Three more cars and an ambulance were reportedly involved in the collision, which stretched across all southbound lanes. Four were injured, including a child.
High-speed car collision recorded more severe damages to persons and property than collisions involving slow moving or stationary vehicles.
The risks
The study conducted by the US Federal Highway Administration reveals that the risk of crash is increased both for vehicles traveling slower than the average speed and for those traveling above the average speed.
The risk of injury is recorded to increase exponentially with speeds higher than the median speed. The severity of the injury depends on the vehicle speed change at impact.
The study also reveals that lower speed limits across states do not necessarily result to lower speeds of vehicles. Moreover, most crashes related to speed involved high-speed for the conditions.
The common types
The common types of collision of two or more moving vehicles include frontal impacts, side impacts, rear impacts and rollovers.
Frontal impacts are hard to avoid during collision especially in freeways. Freeways are designed for high-speed travel and accidents in these roads are often fatal.
Side collision usually occurs at intersections, in parking lots, when vehicles pass on a multi-lane roadway or when a vehicle hits a stationary object.
Rear impacts often result from the untimely stop or decrease of speed of the first car. The following car hits the first due to lack of time to decrease speed or apply the break.
Rollover crashes result when the vehicle tips over as it skids sideways. In the US, about 28,000 cases of rollover accidents happen every year. Ten Thousand people die while 24,000 people are ruinously injured.
The legal consequences
Countless of those involved in high-speed car collision can face unavoidable legal consequences. Most jurisdictions in the US require parties to stop at the scene of the accident to exchange insurance information and the likes. If the driver speeds off, he can face charges of hit and run even if he was not the party at fault.
Civil actions for damages and other criminal suit may also be filed following a high-speed car collision. Civil liability may be made the basis to claim for damages, loss of income, medical and hospital expenses, actual cost of the repair of the vehicle, pain and suffering, among others.
Recourse to law is always advised to avoid deceitful and meager settlement sums. These types of cases often involve complex principles of law and evidence. They are better off dealt by professionals whose expertise includes resolving every issue brought about by high-speed car collision.
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