Each year, millions of traffic crashes occur in the United States. While most of these collisions end up only causing property damage, there are millions of car accidents that end up causing extensive injuries, or they may even result in death. According to the latest information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were more than 35,000 traffic fatalities in 2018, with more than 2.7 million people injured from crashes in the same year. Some of the most common injuries stemming from traffic accidents are traumatic brain injuries (TBI), which can be severe. If you have suffered a brain injury in a traffic accident, you should speak with an experienced personal injury attorney about your options for seeking compensation.

What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury? 

A traumatic brain injury occurs when a person suffers a violent blow or jolt to the brain. TBIs can also be caused by an object penetrating the brain tissue, such as a bullet. The Mayo Clinic states that traumatic brain injuries are often a result of car accidents, although the severity of the injury varies depending on the circumstances of the crash. For example, the use of a seat belt, objects that struck a person's head in a collision, and the speed of the vehicle can all affect the degree of injury.

Everyone has their own preferred method of transportation, but we are all pedestrians at some point throughout our lifetime. Unfortunately, pedestrians were one of the groups that saw an increase in traffic fatalities in 2018. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were over 6,000 pedestrians killed in traffic crashes in 2018. This is the highest number of pedestrian deaths that have been recorded since 1990, prompting much concern about the safety of our nation’s pedestrians. In many cases, pedestrian accidents are caused by negligent drivers. If you or a loved one has suffered injuries from a pedestrian traffic accident, an Illinois personal injury attorney can help you take the legal necessary steps to recover compensation.

Recovering Compensation for Pedestrian Accident Injuries

Many campaigns for pedestrian safety start with educating pedestrians on the steps they can take to be proactive and protect themselves. These include paying attention to one's surroundings, wearing reflective or bright clothing at night, and only crossing the street at designated pedestrian crossings. While these things can help prevent an accident, the fault for many accidents involving pedestrians can be traced back to the driver. Many causes of pedestrian accidents include motorists who were driving under the influence, driving while distracted, speeding, or ignoring traffic lights and signs.

Car accidents are dangerous for drivers and passengers. Both adults and children alike can suffer serious injuries in a collision. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), motor vehicle accidents are a leading cause of death among children in the United States. Even children who do not die in car accidents can sustain significant injuries. The CDC reports that nearly 116,000 children suffered injuries from motor vehicle accidents in 2017. There is no way that you can know when an automobile crash is going to happen, but in the event your child is injured in a crash, contacting an experienced personal injury lawyer right away is key to seeking compensation for any damages.

The Importance of Car Seat Safety

The best way to protect your child when riding in a vehicle is to make sure he or she is restrained in an appropriate car seat. Illinois has laws that require children to be restrained in a certain way depending on their age, weight, and height. Children who are under the age of 2 years old should be secured in a rear-facing car seat until they are at least 40 pounds or 40 inches tall. After they outgrow a rear-facing car seat, they can transition to a forward-facing seat that has an internal harness system. Children should never be placed in the front seat, especially if they are in a rear-facing car seat. 

Car accidents can range in severity from a simple fender-bender in which nobody is hurt to more severe crashes that total the vehicle and kill the occupants. Many factors affect the severity of a motor vehicle collision, including the cause of the accident, the speed at which the vehicles were traveling, and even whether or not the occupants were wearing seat belts at the time of impact. While any auto accident has the capacity to be severe in both property damage and injuries to those involved, T-bone car accidents can be especially serious.

What Is a T-Bone Collision?

T-bone accidents are named so because the two vehicles involved in resemble the letter T when colliding. T-bone accidents are also referred to as side-impact collisions, because one vehicle will strike the other in the side. All car accidents can result in injuries, but side-impact crashes can result in especially severe injuries or even death. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), side-impact crashes were responsible for 23 percent of accident fatalities in 2018.

Any kind of car accident has the potential to be dangerous, resulting in serious injuries to those involved. Head-on collisions, however, tend to be some of the most traumatic types of vehicle crashes. In these cases, the force of the impact can cause significant damage to the vehicles and serious or fatal injuries to drivers and passengers. Pursuing compensation after a head-on collision is usually fairly straightforward because of the nature of the accident. However, an experienced personal injury lawyer can help you make sure you are fully compensated for your damages. 

Causes of Head-On Crashes

Car accidents can vary in severity, and they can occur for a variety of reasons. However, head-on collisions are usually very serious, and they often occur because of driver negligence. Some forms of negligence that can lead to head-on crashes include:

• Impaired driving: Those who are driving while they are under the influence (DUI) of drugs or alcohol are not driving with a clear head. Often, their judgment is skewed, and they do not make the best decisions. They may stray out of their lane and into oncoming traffic, or they may commit other errors that lead them to collide with other vehicles at high speeds, resulting in serious injuries.

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