In addition to rear-end collisions and intersectional collisions, personal
injuries oftentimes result when one vehicle makes an improper lane change
and makes contact with the vehicle in the adjacent lane. There may be a
presumption of negligence on the part of the lane-changing vehicle. Before
a lane change is attempted, the driver has a duty to make sure it is safe
to do so. Liability may arise when a driver side swipes another vehicle
and fails to accomplish the lane change in a safe and prudent manner.
The offending driver's insurance company may attempt to minimize any
injuries suffered by the other vehicle arguing that the impact forces are
low since the vehicles were traveling in the same direction. This argument
is made even when there is significant property damage to the vehicles
involved. Insurance adjuster's routinely decline these claims or try to
settle them for unreasonably low amounts.
The offending driver's insurance company will try to use the fact that the
emergency room x-rays are negative and therefore justify a low or no
settlement. What the insurance adjuster will not tell you is that an x-ray
can be perfectly "normal" and the victim will have suffered a bulging or
herniated disc in the spine. A quick settlement based on a strain or
sprain should be avoided if the victim is still experiencing difficulty. A
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) test may be the best diagnostic tool for
evaluating injuries to the spine.
In reality, the victims of these accidents may experience a significant
jolt or jerking motion that can cause significant neck and low back
injuries. Just because the x-rays done at the emergency room are normal
does not mean a significant injury has not occurred. X-rays can not
identify injuries such as bulging or herniations to disc and other
structures of the spine.
If you or someone your care for has been injured in an auto accident, call
800-437-2571 anytime for a free no obligation
confidential consultation with one of our lawyers experienced in handling
auto accident claims or use our convenient
Free Case Evaluation submission form.
Should you decide to retain our services, we will work on a 100%
contingent fee basis. Simply stated, we get paid for our services only if
we recover monies on your behalf from the insurance company.
Find an auto accident lawyer in your area.
