What You Should Know About Rear-End Car Accidents

 Posted on July 18, 2017 in Car Accidents

Being hit by another car from behind is a common type of car accident. Often, these accidents are caused by speeding or inattentive drivers.

According to 2014 data, rear-end crashes account for about one-third of all car accidents. In that year, there were almost 2 million rear-end accidents reported. Of those accidents, about 2,000 were fatal. Moreover, 522,000 of these accidents lead to bodily injury.

Is Fault Already Determined?

In most cases, fault will be attributed to the second car. Drivers are responsible for controlling their speed, being attentive, and following other cars from an appropriate distance for the driving conditions.

However, there are always exceptions, and it may be that the following vehicle is not responsible (or not fully responsible) for the accident. For example, if there was a defect with the roadway or signage, if the first car was driving erratically or did not have working brake lights, or if it is a multi-vehicle accidents, the second car may not be at fault.

Common Injuries After a Rear-End Wreck

Rear-end accidents tend to cause a range of injuries, including:

• Whiplash. Whiplash occurs when the impact of a crash is so strong that the neck and head rapidly move back and forth. The impact from behind in a rear-end accident often causes this injurious movement. Symptoms are neck pain, stiffness, and headaches. Typical treatment includes pain treatment and physical therapy. Treatment does not always result in complete resolution. Chronic neck pain and ongoing complications have been reported.
• Soft-tissue damage. This class of injuries includes sprains, bruises, strains, and lacerations. While the effects of these injuries usually fade, months of rehabilitation may be required to adequately heal the injury.
• Brain injuries. When the brain is abruptly shaken, either through whiplash or by the head striking an object, a brain injury can result. A concussion is a mild brain injury. Most moderate to severe brain injuries result in some loss of brain function, at least temporarily. If you believe you have suffered a brain injury, you should be immediately examined by a doctor specializing in such conditions.

Call a Milwaukee, WI, Car Accident Lawyer

Our firm believes that those injured in a car accident in which they were not at fault should be compensated to the full extent possible.

We work hard to determine all of your losses that can be attributed to the car wreck, and we will not advise accepting a settlement that does not adequately compensate such losses. Our attorneys will take a car accident case to trial if settlement negotiations are not fair.

The accomplished Milwaukee auto wreck attorneys at Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown, LLP can be reached at 414-271-1440.

Sources:

http://www.iii.org/issue-update/auto-crashes

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/whiplash/basics/definition/con-20033090