Atlanta Side Impact Crashes Lawyer
Atlanta-area side impact crashes form a sizable portion of car accident injuries and fatalities, perhaps unsurprisingly — side impact collisions are difficult to design around, given the relative lack of material protecting occupants (driver and passengers) from each side. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), side crashes account for nearly 25 percent of passenger vehicle fatalities across the United States.
Rear-end and head-on collision are less likely to cause severe injury (at similar speeds) in part due to the presence of crumple zones. When a vehicle collides with yours head on, for example, the front of each vehicle is designed to absorb the shock of impact and distribute it throughout the material. When a vehicle collides with yours from the side, however, there is a limited crumple zone. The center pylon of the vehicle is designed to absorb some of the impact force, but occupants are almost directly exposed to the impact — with just a few inches of material protecting them.
Over the past several decades, the proliferation of side airbags has improved side impact collision safety drastically. Though the airbags cannot prevent a speeding truck from penetrating the vehicle from the side, it can prevent occupants from the head and body trauma that results from slamming into the door/window, and can help spread out the impact force somewhat.
Negligence and Side Impact Crashes
Side impact crashes (and subsequent injuries) in Atlanta and surrounding areas in Georgia can be caused or otherwise exacerbated by negligence that includes, but is not necessarily limited, to:
- Driving through an intersection in disregard of traffic signals
- Driving while intoxicated
- Excessive speeding
- Side airbag failed to deploy
- Side airbag deployed in a faulty manner
- Defective design or manufacture of vehicle
- Poor roadway design
- And more
Damages in a Side Impact Accident
If you have been injured in a side impact crash, you may be entitled to recover damages for losses that include, but are not necessarily limited, to:
- Medical expenses (past and future)
- Wage loss (past and future)
- Loss of future earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- And more
Damages in a side impact case can be significant, particularly if the impact causes traumatic injury to the occupant’s head, neck, back, and organ systems.
Consult With an Atlanta Accident Attorney
Attorney James Ponton has a unique legal background, having spent the early stages of his career working as an insurance defense attorney. After years of insurance defense, he moved to plaintiffs’-side litigation and began to represent injured victims in a variety of personal injury cases, including car accidents. Having experienced “both sides” gives James a distinct advantage at every stage of the process, from negotiating a favorable settlement all the way through to trial litigation.
This unique legal background has paid dividends, with Atlanta Magazine and the Super Lawyers Magazine recognizing James as a Georgia Rising Star four times in the past seven years — a distinction that fewer than 2.5 percent of lawyers in the state are awarded.
If you’ve been injured in a side impact car accident, you may be entitled to recover damages pursuant to Georgia law. To get connected with a results-oriented Atlanta accident attorney here at Ponton Law, call (404) 902-3154 today.