Sideswipe Accidents

Innocuous as the term may sound, a sideswipe accident can lead to loss of vehicle control or other potentially tragic results. Defined as a “glancing blow” from or on the side of another object, most typically a motor vehicle, a sideswipe collision may be just the beginning of a more serious automobile, commercial truck or motorcycle wreck. As Baltimore personal injury attorneys, we at the law offices of Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers, know that bad accidents can start from small, seemingly insignificant events, after which innocent people may be seriously hurt or even killed.

Many sideswipe traffic accidents happen when a driver sometimes overreacts to a road hazard or an impending collision with another motor vehicle. By taking action to avoid a full-on crash with one car, truck or sport utility vehicle, the driver may actually cause his vehicle to strike from the side a second, adjacent automobile. Under different circumstances, a sideswipe may occur simply because a motorist decides to make a lane change without checking to see if the adjoining lane is empty. The negligent action by the one driver may result in a sideswipe collision, which could send the victim’s vehicle off the road and into a stationary object such as a tree, utility pole or bridge abutment.

In either case, the resulting crash -- caused essentially by the careless or absentminded action of the first driver -- can be serious enough to require hospitalization for the victims in the car that was sideswiped. As Maryland auto, truck and motorcycle injury accident lawyers, the trial attorneys at Lebowitz & Mzhen have the legal training and years of courtroom experience to help those victims of traffic-related injury accidents in cities like Annapolis, Rockville, Cumberland and Washington, D.C.

Sideswipe collisions are often referred to as "blind spot" accidents, which typically cause vehicle damage such as dented driver- or passenger-side doors, scraped quarter panels and lost or damaged side-view mirrors. Since intrusive damage is generally not a severe as other, more direct impacts many insurance companies may dispute certain injury claims. Yet, as experienced injury attorneys, we know that even these glancing-type car and truck collisions can cause injury to the occupants’ shoulders and necks due to unexpected side-to-side jerking motion that such a collision can cause.

Since insurance companies may balk at paying for injuries sustained in a sideswipe-type impact, victims may benefit from the services of a qualified Maryland auto accident lawyer. A good automobile injury attorney must understand the physics of the accident in order to formulate arguments that the court will accept and which will address the inevitable contrary arguments that the insurance company’s attorneys will likely make.

These days, causes of a typical sideswipe collision can range from simple inattentiveness to an outright negligent or aggressive driving style. By their very nature, sideswipe incidents can also present real challenges vis-à-vis fault and liability. From our experience, the legal team at Lebowitz & Mzhen knows that sideswipe accidents, like other kinds of traffic-related wrecks, can easily happen when a driver is distracted or otherwise not paying sufficient attention to the task at hand. The causes of driver distraction or loss of concentration can include the following:

• Texting while driving
• Operating smartphone or talking on a cellphone
• Operating a motor vehicle while fatigued
• Changing stations on a car radio
• Driving while impaired by alcohol or prescription drugs

Regardless of the circumstances surrounding a sideswipe incident, if an injury or death was involved the victim or his family should speak to an experienced legal professional to learn about their rights in the aftermath of this kind of roadway collision. And, because determining fault in a sideswipe accident can prove a challenge, retaining a competent car accident attorney is the first step to recovering costs for medical treatment, rehabilitation, and even long-term care in those situations where permanent injury, paralysis or lost mental capacity is involved.

The law firm of Lebowitz & Mzhen is prepared to assist victims of serious injury accidents, as well as the families of individuals who have lost their lives through the negligence of another motorist. In such circumstances, we recommend a consultation between the victim and a skilled automobile accident attorney in order to better understand their rights to compensation for injuries sustained in a roadway collision.

Our attorneys always prepare a strong legal case against the negligent parties in the anticipation of a full trial. By being ready to fight in court for a victim’s right to maximum compensation under the law, our lawyers can also settle out of court should the defendant wish to avoid a protracted trial in which they may not prevail.

If you or someone you care about has been seriously hurt in an automobile, commercial truck or motorcycle wreck, we are ready, willing and able to lend our years of litigation expertise in representing your interests. Our traffic-related injury attorneys are happy to talk with you about your auto or trucking-related injury accident. Please give us a call at our toll-free number -- (800) 654-1949 -- or contact Jack Lebowitz or Vadim Mzhen by email to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.