The auto accidents that tend to get the most media coverage are those that occur at high speeds and result in significant property damage and injuries. However, it’s important to understand that a large percentage of car crashes actually occur at speeds of 10 to 20 miles per hour. Although they tend to only result in minor damage to vehicles, they can cause serious injuries to the people involved.
Many victims of injuries in low-impact crashes face opposition from insurance adjusters and the parties at fault, who typically argue that the injuries suffered are not serious enough to warrant compensation. With this in mind, it’s important to consult an experienced personal injury lawyer when seeking monetary damages.
Consider this: the average automobile weighs around 2,000 pounds, which means a collision at just 10 miles per hour will still generate an average impact force of approximately 3.7 tons. Larger vehicles (3,000 pounds) will produce an average impact force of roughly 5.6 tons. Due to the principle of magnification of acceleration, the car’s occupants will accelerate at a faster rate than the vehicle when the collision occurs, which means that the occupants will also absorb more of the force. This is still more than enough force to cause some significant damage to a person’s neck or back, especially if the occupant had a preexisting condition or is of an advanced age.
Therefore, even if your auto accident happened at a low speed, it’s still important to take immediate action to seek compensation to cover medical bills, pain and suffering and lost wages.
Work with the respected North Carolina accident attorneys at Lanier Law Group for more information and guidance.
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