Insurance Claim for a Car Wreck

Insurance Claim for a Car Wreck

It was estimated in January 2003 that nearly 21 million automobiles were involved in the 12.3 million auto accidents that occurred in the good ol' USA the previous year. That's slightly more than one collision every second. Let's examine four of the most regular impacts among these billions and the typical injuries they cause.

Accident With Low Vehicle Velocity

Especially Rear-End Incidents: Any collision with speeds lower than 10 miles per hour is classified as a low-speed crash. The insurance industry loves to label impacts like this as "low speed," despite the fact that there is no basis for doing so. Why ? Why? Because with a name like that, you would think that the "so-called impact" you endured couldn't have hurt you.

It's true that when such a collision does occur, the vehicle itself usually doesn't take too much of a hit, but the occupants inside still frequently end up with injuries, especially neck injuries.

Insurance companies would prefer claimants to believe that low-impact collisions can cause injuries, but the reality is that they can. The "Whiplash" is the most typical. This occurs when passengers are unaware of the oncoming crash and are unable to brace themselves by leaning against the back of the seat or the headrest. This causes their bodies to be severely whipped and jerked about.

Bumpers on modern vehicles are tested to withstand impacts from vehicles traveling at speeds of up to 5 miles per hour. This isn't done for the passenger's safety, but rather to reduce wear and tear on the bumpers and the subsequent expense of repairs. Vehicles can usually absorb an 8- or 9-MPH collision before suffering any noticeable damage. 

When the bumper does not break apart and absorb the shock, the occupants feel more of the impact.The victim of a collision (even at 5 mph) is flung forward with such force that their necks crack and their backs twist on impact. Numerous "soft tissue" injuries, such as bruising all over the body and broken ribs and chest bones, occur as a result. Most adjusters would try to argue that a low-speed hit can't cause injuries, but studies show otherwise. Although the car itself may not take much of a beating, the passengers within will feel the full power of the impact. The human body is not designed to survive minor collisions like those that occur in automobiles.

Secondly, frontal crashes are less dangerous than other types of collisions because the occupants have time to prepare for the impact they know is coming. In frontal collisions, the severity of injuries sustained by the occupant is affected by both the velocity and mass of the vehicle. (The occupants are less likely to sustain serious injuries if the car disintegrates upon collision. Airbags go off frequently. When two vehicles collide head-on, the severity of injuries depends on both the vehicles' speeds and sizes. (And, returning briefly to rear-end crashes, not only does the collapsing vehicle drive the colliding vehicle forward, it also undergoes a collapse. 

It's possible the airbag will detonate. The rigidity of the vehicle being impacted determines this. Concussions, internal bleeding, soft tissue damage, dislocations, abrasions, cuts, and bruises are all examples of immediate injuries. In the subsequent 48-72 hours, you may experience a headache, blurred vision, dizziness, and a loss of taste, smell, or hearing. Breathing problems, blood in the toilet, swelling, immobility, and the perception of bruises are also symptoms.

Side Impact

The head of the passenger frequently hits and bounces against the side glass. There is nothing to cushion or defend a person from harm—no airbags, bumpers, engines, etc. Injuries to the head, neck, arms, legs, soft tissue, dislocations, scrapes, and bruising should be treated immediately. Later, between 48 and 72 hours later, you may experience pain, headache, blurred vision, dizziness, loss of taste, smell, or hearing, numbness, or tingling (basically the same as those listed above). Thus, despite the risk of boring you to death, the most important thing is to get the person who was hit checked out by a doctor as soon as possible, regardless of how minor the impact appeared.

Fourth: Accidents involving a rollover: The consequences of a normal rollover accident are devastating. Too much speed before a curve, veering off the road, or overcorrecting the steering wheel are typical causes of single-vehicle accidents, especially in vehicles with a short wheel base. The number of rolls, the vehicle's condition, and what your car went through, over, and into all play a role in determining how seriously the occupants were hurt. The car usually has a lot of damage. Occupant ejection accounts for 60% of the economic expenses associated with roll-overs, and the initial roll-over speed was found to be between 40 and 60 mph. (According to a recent study, the percentage of neck injuries among restrained passengers is higher than that among uncontrolled passengers.)

Emergency injuries include all of the aforementioned things and more.

In summary (to all 4 of the above), it is vitally important for everyone involved in a car crash, no matter how little the damage, to get checked out by a doctor as soon as possible after the incident. So, if you're at an accident site and someone asks if they need medical attention, your response should be "Absolutely"! Focus your gaze on their pupils and say, "It's your body. In the eyes of a consumer, you're the only one. Do everything in your power to preserve and safeguard it."

Car Accident Insurance Claim: Regarding Impacts and Injuries Disclaimer: This article is for illustrative purposes only. Its goal is to demystify the car accident claim procedure and make it more accessible to the general public. None of Dan Baldyga, Thomas Brown, or ARTICLE CITY is engaged in giving any professional or legal service, nor do they offer any form of promise or claim to be. The onus of securing such assistance falls squarely on the shoulders of the person in need of it.

Avoid being taken advantage of by the insurance company by reading this book on "how to" successfully handle your auto accident claim. The groundbreaking BASE is also discussed in depth (The Baldyga Auto Accident Settlement Evaluation Formula). The pain and suffering you experienced as a result of your injury is quantifiable and has a monetary value, which may be calculated using the guidelines provided by BASE.