Low-Impact Car Accident Injuries In Oklahoma City

When car accidents occur at low speed, we often consider them no more than minor fender-bender collisions resulting in little more than inconvenience. Unfortunately, some low-impact car accidents cause injuries that impact a motorist’s ability to accomplish daily tasks, resulting in adverse impacts on the injury victim’s life. Even worse, it’s often a more challenging process to recover compensation for low-impact car accident injuries compared to catastrophic injuries. Insurance companies commonly dispute injury claims based on the faulty idea that a serious injury cannot happen in an accident with very little damage to a vehicle. Make sure to contact an experienced car accident lawyer in Oklahoma City for legal guidance.

What Is a Low-Impact Car Accident?

Most car insurance companies consider low-impact car accidents to be those that occur at 15 miles per hour or less. This type of accident typically occurs in parking lots, driveway exits, intersections, and low-speed residential areas. A low-impact car accident causes only cosmetic damage to a vehicle, such as a dented bumper or scratched paint.

Not only does the minor damage to a car after a low-impact car accident in Oklahoma City and elsewhere cause insurance adjusters to doubt injury claims, but the fact that many low-impact car accident injuries have delayed symptom reaction increases their skepticism.

What Causes Oklahoma City Low-Impact Car Accidents?

Most car accidents are caused by human error, including low-impact collisions. Less commonly, an accident can result from road hazards, poor intersection designs, or obstructed signs. The most common causes of low-impact car accidents include the following:

A car accident in Oklahoma City may seem minor when it only causes a dent or scratch, but even a minor collision has substantial force that can adversely impact body structures.

Common Injuries In Low-Impact Car Accidents In Oklahoma City

The crash force of an accident is far more substantial than people realize until they experience it. According to crash force calculations, a 125-pound person becomes a 1,875-pound force in a collision at only 15 miles per hour. What appears on the outside as a minor bump actually thrusts the motorist forcefully forward and then snaps them back against the seat, causing strain to the skeletal system and soft tissues connecting the muscles to the bones.

The most common low-impact collision injury is whiplash. Whiplash is a neck injury that occurs when a sudden jarring motion causes the head to whip back and forth, overextending and stretching the ligaments and tendons in the neck. Whiplash causes inflammation, pain, stiffness, and neurological impacts. Other low-impact car accident injuries include:

If a low-impact collision causes the car’s airbag to deploy, it can cause blunt force injuries to the head, face, and upper body.

Low-impact injuries can also cause severe injuries to pedestrians and bicyclists. Pregnant motorists may also face serious injuries to an unborn baby due to the crash force of a low-speed collision and pressure from the vehicle’s restraint system.

Recovering Compensation After a Low-Impact Car Accident

Oklahoma is a fault-based accident state with a modified comparative negligence system that requires an injury victim to prove the at-fault driver’s liability. It takes an experienced investigator to safeguard a low-impact car accident victim’s rights by documenting compelling evidence of an injury and the resulting damages, including medical expenses, lost earnings, and pain and suffering.

How Can a Low-Impact Car Accident Lawyer In Oklahoma City Help Me?

At Dan Davis Law, our years of experience navigating Oklahoma City car accident claims give us access to the best medical experts and other resources to help prove the very real impacts of your injury. Call our Oklahoma City injury lawyers today so we can quickly take action on your behalf with a results-oriented approach.