Sideswipe Accidents in Tulsa
Tulsa is a busy urban area with residents who live active lives, which leads to congested traffic, frequent road construction, and frustrated drivers. Unfortunately, when drivers crowd the roadways and share multi-lane highways with large trucks and construction vehicles, accidents are not uncommon.
Oklahoma crash data reports an alarming 2,094 serious injuries in car accidents in the most recent year with fully analyzed data. A significant portion of these injuries occurs from sideswipe accidents.
If you’ve been injured in a sideswipe accident, call a Tulsa car accident attorney for legal guidance at (405) 930-4210 for a free consultation.
What is a Sideswipe?
The term “sideswipe” invokes images of minor damage to a car’s paint job caused when the front end or side of one car accidentally makes slight contact or strikes a glancing blow against the side of another. In the best-case scenario, this is true when sideswipes happen in parking lot accidents.
Unfortunately, a significant number of sideswipe accidents happen at high speeds on multi-lane highways, causing serious effects, such as the following:
- Bumping or forcing a vehicle into another lane of traffic and causing a secondary collision
- Causing the driver of the sideswiped car to lose control and run off the road, sometimes ending in a collision with an obstacle or a rollover
- Sideswipes may cause one or both vehicles to spin or slide, resulting in secondary accidents
- Sideswipes on multi-laned highways of fast-moving traffic sometimes trigger multi-car pileups or chain reaction accidents in Tulsa or elsewhere.
Sideswipes make up about 8.2% of two-car collisions and result in about 1,600 deaths nationally each year.
The driver who strayed from their lane or improperly merged into a lane where another vehicle was already present is at fault for the accident and liable for the damages under Oklahoma’s fault-based laws.
What are the Most Common Causes of Sideswipe Accidents in Tulsa?
Causing a sideswipe is almost always an act of careless or reckless driving, both of which are forms of negligence under Oklahoma injury law. The most common causes of sideswipes include the following:
- Unsafe lane changes
- Blind spot collisions (especially common in large commercial trucks with extended blind spots)
- Improper merging
- Reckless driving, such as weaving through traffic
- Drowsy driving
- Distracted driving
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or other substances
Less commonly, a sideswipe doesn’t result from negligence, but due to faulty or defective tires or steering components. Uneven lanes, inadequate street lighting, and reduced visibility from inclement weather also cause or contribute to sideswipe accidents in Tulsa and elsewhere.
What Can an Injury Victim Get From a Tulsa Sideswipe Accident Claim?
Injuries from sideswipe car accidents in Tulsa can be painful, frightening, and temporarily or permanently disabling. The worst side-impact accidents in Tulsa cause permanent impairment, chronic pain, catastrophic injuries, or fatality. Serious injuries require costly medical treatment and interfere with the ability to work and remain self-sufficient.
A successful Tulsa car accident claim recovers compensation from the party at fault for the accident. Damages recovered could include the following, depending on the circumstances of the case:
- Past and future medical expenses related to the injuries
- Past and future income loss or diminished earning ability
- Out-of-pocket costs
- Compensation for pain and suffering
- Catastrophic injury compensation in cases of permanent harm such as disfigurement, loss of limb, loss of one of the senses, organ loss, loss of enjoyment of life, or chronic pain.
If a sideswipe car accident in Tulsa causes a fatality, the closest surviving family member may recover compensation through a wrongful death claim against the responsible party.
How Can a Tulsa Car Accident Lawyer From Dan Davis Law Help?
Under Oklahoma’s modified comparative negligence system, a Tulsa car accident victim must provide compelling evidence of the other driver’s negligence and liability to recover the full compensation they deserve. This requires clear documentation of evidence to achieve the maximum compensation from the at-fault party’s insurance company, which is not on the injury victim’s side but instead prioritizes profit-making at the injury victim’s expense.
Instead of leaving your case in the hands of the insurance company, contact a Tulsa car accident attorney at Dan Davis Law for the experienced legal counsel you need to achieve the settlement you deserve.