Jacksonville Florida Auto Accident Lawyer

While head on collisions have the greatest risk of injury to vehicle occupants, side impacts also involve a high risk for injury. Injuries caused by side impact collisions, depending on the speed, can vary in severity from mild to moderate to fatal. The size and crash worthiness of the vehicle(s) is also a determining factor for injuries. In these types of accidents, any and all body parts can contact rigid surfaces in the vehicle. For instance, you can strike the door inside your vehicle, support posts, and the console. The near side and the far side passanger being struck have different biomechanics involved in injuiry.

Side-Airbags, shoulder harnesses and seat belts, can help to lessen serious and fatal injuries.

Some of the injuries that can be sustained in a side impact collision are as follows:

• Injuries to the head and neck
  
• Brain injuries
  
• Extremity (arms & legs) fractures
  
• Soft tissue injuries
  
• Dislocations
  
• Abrasions (scrapes)
  
• Bruises

Therefore, side-impact crash-test ratings are an important factor when choosing an automobile. While the side-impact tests from both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA, www.safercar.gov) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS, www.hwysafety.org) simulate a collision that might occur in an intersection, the tests are conducted differently by each organization and thus the results often vary. While ratings from both groups are valuable, each test is a separate measure of various safety factors of the vehicle you might be considering.