Sideswipe collisions are not considered the most damaging type of collision—that distinction belongs to head-on accidents. However, you should not take this to mean that sideswipe collisions are harmless. This is certainly not the case.
A sideswipe accident can cause significant impact, injuries, costly property damage, and psychological and emotional distress for the victim. When a vehicle is hit in a sideswiped manner, it can also cause the vehicle to hit another object or run off the road, which may result in additional harm to people and property. If you or a loved one suffered an injury in a collision, hire a sideswipe accident attorney to demand fair compensation for you.
Sideswipe Accidents: Not the Most Damaging, But Damaging Nonetheless
A sideswipe accident is one in which a vehicle hits another in an almost parallel fashion, which may be described as scraping or rubbing another vehicle. Imagine the passenger side of one vehicle contacting the driver side of another.
While these accidents may have less force than a vehicle rear-ending another or a vehicle hitting another head-on, sideswipe accidents can still:
- Cause substantial impact resulting in injury
- Lead to secondary collisions, as a vehicle may be pushed off the roadway or pushed into other objects, like another vehicle or a concrete barrier
- Cause substantial property damage
- Even cause a wrongful death
Whenever a sideswipe collision occurs, it’s critical to get to the bottom of:
- Why the accident happened
- Who is responsible for the accident, and the cost of the accident
- How accident victims may secure fair compensation for medical bills, vehicle repairs, lost income, and any other harm resulting from the collision
Hiring a sideswipe accident lawyer is, for many, the way to answer these questions. When you hire a lawyer, they will immediately become responsible for your case while you prioritize recovery.
Why Sideswipe Accidents Happen (and Who Is Liable When They Happen)
Anytime vehicles collide, or one vehicle collides with a fixed object, it’s safe to assume that someone has done something wrong. In other words, someone’s negligence can fully or partially explain why the accident happened.
Sideswipe accidents are not exceptions to this general rule. Some potential reasons why a sideswipe accident may occur include:
- A dangerous lane change: Unsafe lane changes are one of the events that can prompt a sideswipe collision. If motorists do not check their blind spots, misjudge the room they have to merge, or attempt to change lanes despite knowing it’s dangerous, they are likely responsible for a resulting accident.
- Driver impairment: Whenever a driver is impaired—by alcohol, drugs, upsetting emotions, tiredness, or other factors—there is a heightened risk of them doing something dangerous. A vehicle veering out of its lane into another vehicle can be explained, in some instances, by an impaired driver.
- An unsafe vehicle: Motor vehicles often travel in close quarters, with only a few feet or inches separating them. If a vehicle’s tire blows out, it should not be surprising if it strikes a vehicle next to it. This is just one example of how a defective vehicle or a vehicle the owner has failed to service regularly can lead to a sideswipe accident.
- Dangerous roads: Roadways littered with potholes, large gradients in the driving surface, dangerously positioned work zones, and other hazards are unsafe. When unsafe driving conditions lead to sideswipe accidents and resulting injuries or deaths, a municipality may have to pay for victims’ accident-related damages.
- A health event (or general poor health): If someone has a health event while driving or has a health deficit like poor vision, a lawyer will determine fault and liability for the accident. In unavoidable health events, the ill driver’s insurance provider may have to cover the victims’ damages.
Determining why a sideswipe accident happened is just one of many steps in successfully resolving a case like yours. Being in a traffic accident can be physically debilitating and psychologically stressful. Consider hiring a sideswipe accident attorney to oversee your case so your health does not fall by the wayside.
What Benefits Will I Receive from Hiring a Sideswipe Accident Lawyer?
An attorney will provide legal services—their time and effort are their stock and trade. However, the benefits of hiring a lawyer after a sideswipe accident cannot be summarized by their services alone.
Those who hire a sideswipe accident lawyer generally:
Face Less Stress from Their Case
There are many stressful aspects of sideswipe accident cases, which can include:
- Meeting case-related deadlines
- Having to deal with insurance companies
- Trying to figure out how much money the accident victim deserves (then obtaining that amount of compensation)
- Juggling all other case-related duties while simultaneously recovering from physical injury and trauma
It’s no secret why many auto accident victims prefer to allow a sideswipe accident lawyer to handle their case. The less stress you are exposed to after your accident, the better off you should be.
Can Focus on Healing
It is vital to avoid unnecessary stress. Actively working to heal is just as critical to your short—and long-term health.
A lawyer dealing with case-related responsibilities should provide you with the time necessary to see your doctor, receive treatment, rehabilitate, and rest.
Protected from Attempts to Subvert Their Case
You cannot afford to be naive or too trusting after an auto accident. Some realities you must consider are:
- That in general, insurance providers are looking out for nobody but insurance providers
- That you can face lowball settlement offers, blame for the accident, delays, deception, and other bad-faith tactics from insurance companies
- That the party or parties who caused the sideswipe accident may lie about how the accident happened, which may include blaming you for the collision
You should not assume that the insurance process will end with a fair settlement for you. Instead, assume that you’ll have to fight for a fair outcome—and choose to let a lawyer fight for that outcome on your behalf.
Supported Financially (and Under No Obligation to Pay Their Lawyer Out of Pocket)
When you handle your own insurance claim after a sideswipe accident, you may be racked with concern about:
- How much compensation you should seek from insurers
- Whether you should invest resources into building your claim
- How to negotiate with insurance companies should you have to
- Other money-related concerns (which are native to insurance claims)
If you hire an attorney to handle your sideswipe accident case, many of your money-related concerns should go away. You will know that:
- Because of the contingency fee structure that most car accident lawyers use, you will not have to pay your attorney any out-of-pocket fee—they will receive a percentage of any money they secure for you.
- Because of their experience calculating the cost of accidents, there’s a strong likelihood your lawyer will accurately determine your case value.
- Because of their negotiating experience, your lawyer will not be intimidated by complex negotiations.
- If they have trial experience, your lawyer should be willing to file a lawsuit and take your case to trial if they need to.
Because sideswipe accident lawyers only earn their fee by winning for the client, you should expect your law firm to hire experts and make any other investments that make for a stronger case.
What an Accident Attorney Will Do for You (and How They’ll Fight for the Money You Deserve)
Whether they are representing the victim of a multi-vehicle collision started by a head-on crash or a sideswipe accident without disabling injuries, a lawyer has the same directive. They must secure fair compensation for the client(s) they represent and work to secure the compensation as soon as possible.
Lawyers know the ropes when it comes to delivering the money their clients deserve. While each case has its unique wrinkles, twists, and turns, lawyers usually resolve sideswipe accident cases by:
Taking Communications with Insurers Off their Client’s Hands
With each duty a lawyer handles for you, they handle many sub-duties you would have otherwise had to handle on your own. When it comes to communicating with insurance companies, your lawyer will be ready to:
- File all sideswipe-related claims if you have not already
- Secure formal notice that the insurance companies have received your claims
- Provide details of your injuries, symptoms, and covered losses to the insurance companies
- Accept, review, and respond to all correspondence from insurance providers
If and when insurance companies deny a claim, offer a settlement, or take other action requiring a major decision from you, your lawyer will inform you. They will counsel you about what decision is in your best interest.
Establishing Who Caused the Sideswipe Accident
If another vehicle sideswiped yours, you probably know who is at fault for the accident. Your lawyer will go a step further by striving to prove fault beyond a doubt.
Your lawyer may use several types of evidence to prove who is at fault for your accident. They will seek any witness statements, expert testimony, and other evidence that suggests or outright proves who hit your vehicle and caused you harm.
Rebuffing Any Attempts to Deprive the Client of Fair Compensation
Attorneys must be on the defensive anytime they seek client compensation. They will be prepared for:
- Baseless allegations that you caused the accident (which you likely know is untrue)
- The denial of one or more of your insurance claims
- One or more lowball settlement offers
- Any other questionable or unethical attempts to withhold compensation from you
Everyone involved in your case may have their financial agenda—except for your lawyer, who receives their fee by obtaining as much compensation as possible for you.
Documenting All Your Recoverable Damages (and Establishing a Case Value)
Though the damages from a sideswipe accident are not typically as extensive or expensive as those from a head-on accident, everyone involved in a collision deserves fair compensation.
Your sideswipe accident lawyer may prove the damaging nature of your collision by securing the following:
- Medical records explicitly detailing your injuries, symptoms, and treatments
- Any medical images of accident-related injuries
- Bills for treatment, vehicle repairs, temporary transportation, and other accident-related expenses
Your lawyer may also arrange for a mental health professional to evaluate you, diagnose any conditions requiring care, and entitle you to compensation.
Securing a Settlement (and Exercising the Next Steps in the Legal Process, If Need Be)
Car accident lawyers have several strategic options available to them, which can include:
- Filing insurance claims
- Filing lawsuits
- Taking sideswipe collision cases to court
Sometimes, a lawyer will advise their client to sue immediately. In other cases, they seek a settlement from insurance companies and then sue if a settlement does not materialize. Let your lawyer handle the strategic decisions, get your input, and free you to focus on your recovery.
Damages That Can Result from a Sideswipe Accident
Your lawyer will pay necessary attention to every detail of your case, but your accident-related damages warrant especially close scrutiny. Your legal team will document and determine the financial cost of all accident-related harm, which may include:
- Pain and suffering: This common category of harm can include post-traumatic stress disorder, pain, emotional anguish, psychological distress, and other types of non-economic harm resulting from the collision.
- Medical bills: If you need any medical attention after the accident, your attorney will include all healthcare costs in your case.
- Professional losses: Even supposedly minor accidents can cause costly professional damages. Yours may include lost income, diminished earning capacity, and the loss of professional and bonus opportunities.
- Vehicle repairs and any other property-related losses: Your sideswipe accident lawyer will total the cost of all property-related expenses before seeking compensation for you.
If you face any other damages from the accident, trust your lawyer to document them and demand fair compensation.
When Should I Hire My Sideswipe Accident Attorney?
While it’s your decision when to hire a sideswipe accident attorney, you should know the risks of waiting to hire one. Failure to meet deadlines, losing access to evidence, and succumbing to an insurance company’s bad-faith tactics are possible risks.
Hire your personal injury lawyer as soon as you can.
Gary Annes
Partner
Personal Injury Lawyer With Over Twenty Years Of Experience
Gary Annes, a partner at Abels & Annes, P.C., has dedicated over two decades to practicing personal injury law, specializing in auto accidents, premises liability, wrongful death, medical malpractice, and sexual abuse. Since earning his law degree in 1995, Gary has led numerous jury trials, and adeptly resolved cases through arbitration and mediation, securing millions in compensation for his clients.
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