Types of Vehicle Crashes and Settlement Amounts

Different types of car accidents create different legal fights. A head-on crash is not defended the same way as a rear-end crash. A sideswipe case is not proven the same way as a left-turn collision. A hit-and-run claim raises insurance issues that do not come up in an ordinary liability case.

This page is a guide to the most common types of Maryland car accident claims. Pick the accident type that matches your crash to learn how these cases are proven, what insurance companies fight about, and what settlement amounts and jury payouts may look like.

At the bottom of this page is a list of vehicle accident types. We give example settlement amounts and jury payouts in these types of car crash cases to help you better understand the range of expected outcomes for that type of accident. But you do not have to wait until the bottom of the page. You can start with the type of crash that sounds closest to what happened to you.

Choose the Type of Accident You Were In

Every crash has its own story. Click the accident type that best matches what happened to you.

Different Car Accidents Create Different Legal Problems

There are many different ways to get hurt and killed in a motor vehicle. Our car accident injury lawyers have seen every conceivable and inconceivable type of car accident. In the big picture, the type of accident is not the driving force behind the case’s value or the likelihood of success at trial. What matters are the injuries and the unique facts of the case.

Still, the accident type is not just trivia. It changes the proof. It changes what the insurance company argues. It changes what witnesses are useful. It changes the questions lawyers ask in discovery. A rear-end crash, a left-turn crash, a sideswipe, a rollover, and a hit-and-run claim all raise different issues.

If you are trying to understand your case, start with the crash type. Then look at the injury. The best settlement comparisons usually come from cases that match both: the way the crash happened and the injury that resulted.

Why the Type of Accident Can Affect Settlement Value

Still, there is wisdom in understanding the science and other litigation experiences with specific types of car accidents. Why? Because there are specific things you have to do in a case to prove liability, depending on how the accident occurred. There are different, specific types of questions you want to ask the defendant, in depositions and interrogatories, and such that depend on just how the accident occurred.

There is also a question of the value of the case. Insurance companies bake into their settlement formula the type of accident and, to a lesser extent, juries do too.

Insurance companies do this more where there are many different possible outcomes for the victim based on the diagnostic testing.

What do we mean by this? Take a broken leg in a car accident. A broken leg pretty much is what it is. It does not matter whether it occurred from a head-on collision or a rear-end accident and it does not matter how much property damage there is. The consequences of that particular injury generally fall in line with what the doctors see on an X-ray.

Contrast that with injuries like a herniated disc or a traumatic brain injury. Insurance companies question whether the diagnostic findings support the injuries in almost every case. So if the property damage is significant and the injuries are biomechanically consistent with the accident that occurred, the insurance company is more likely to find a connection between the crash and the injuries.

If the case goes to a jury, you can expect the jurors to demand a logical nexus between how the accident happened and the injury claim. Still, they are not going to put quite the fine point on it as the insurance companies do.

Looking at case value by type of accident is a productive exercise in trying to determine the settlement value of your case. But if you are trying to find the best comparable to try to better understand what cases like yours might settle for, you are better off looking at the case valuation analysis based on the type of injuries the victim suffered.

Car Accident Types and Common Legal Issues

The same injury can have a different settlement value depending on how the crash happened. Why? Because the crash type affects liability, causation, insurance defenses, and how the jury sees the injury.

Not Sure Which Accident Type Fits Your Case?

You do not have to know the perfect label for your crash. A side-impact accident may also be an intersection accident. A left-turn crash may also be a broadside collision. A hit-and-run case may also involve uninsured motorist coverage. The label helps organize the claim, but the facts decide the value.

If another driver hit you and you are trying to understand what your case may be worth, start with the page that sounds closest to your crash. If you are still not sure, call us at 800-553-8082. We can usually tell you pretty quickly what category your claim falls into and what issues are likely to drive the claim.

Head-On Accidents

Head-on accidents are classified as collisions between vehicles moving in opposite directions. Head-on collisions are generally the most dangerous of all types of auto accidents. When two cars moving in opposite directions collide, the force of the impact is significantly greater than in other types of collisions. Fortunately, head-on accidents are rare, accounting for only 3% of all collisions involving more than one vehicle.

These cases usually have high settlement value because the injuries tend to be severe. The legal fight often focuses on why the defendant crossed the center line, drifted out of lane, passed illegally, fell asleep, drove drunk, or lost control. If you were seriously hurt in a head-on crash, the accident type itself often helps explain why the injuries are so significant.

Side-Impact Accidents

Side-impact accidents include any collision in which the primary point of impact is on the side of the vehicle, as opposed to the front or back. Side impact accidents include both “broadside” impacts as well as “sideswipes.” Side-impact accidents are the 2^nd most hazardous accident type. Approximately 33% of all accident fatalities are the result of broadside collisions. The increased danger of these accidents is primarily because the side of a vehicle gives drivers and passengers the least amount of protection from the force of a collision.

Side-impact cases often overlap with intersection accident claims. The legal issue is usually who had the right of way. Did the other driver run a red light? Did the driver fail to yield? Was someone turning left across traffic? The more clearly the crash mechanics match the injury, the harder it is for the insurance company to pretend the impact was minor.

Pedestrian Accidents

Pedestrian accidents occur when a moving vehicle strikes a pedestrian, including someone walking or riding a bike, scooter, or another non-motorized vehicle. Pedestrian accidents are typically very dangerous and often deadly for the pedestrian, with little or no risk of injury to the driver.

Again, the reason is fairly obvious: even at low speeds, cars can easily crush bones, tissue, and organs when they strike unprotected pedestrians. Pedestrian accidents occur more frequently in highly urban areas, such as downtown Baltimore, where there are large numbers of pedestrians. Other high-risk situations include construction sites and walking or biking on roadsides without sidewalks.

Pedestrian cases are often high-value claims because the injuries are usually significant. But they can also be hard-fought in Maryland because the defense may argue that the pedestrian crossed outside a crosswalk, entered against the signal, failed to look, or stepped into traffic. In Maryland, those arguments can be dangerous because of contributory negligence.

Rear-End Accidents

Rear-end collisions are among the most common car accident claims. Liability is often easier to prove because drivers are expected to keep a safe following distance and stop in time. But that does not mean rear-end accident cases are always easy.

The real fight in many rear-end cases is not who caused the crash. The fight is over whether the crash caused the injury. Insurance companies often argue that the property damage was minor, that the plaintiff had preexisting neck or back problems, or that the medical treatment was too much for the impact.

That is why medical records, imaging, treatment history, property damage photos, and a clear explanation of symptoms are so important in rear-end crash claims.

Left-Turn Accidents

Left-turn accidents happen when one driver turns across the path of another vehicle. These cases are common at intersections, shopping center entrances, side streets, and divided highways.

Most left-turn accident cases begin with a simple question: Who had the right of way? If the turning driver failed to yield, liability may be strong. But the defense may argue the oncoming driver was speeding, entered on a yellow light, changed lanes, or could have avoided the crash.

These cases can lead to significant settlements and verdicts because the impact is often to the front or side of a vehicle. When the crash causes fractures, spinal injuries, shoulder injuries, knee injuries, or surgery, the value can climb quickly.

Hit-and-Run Accidents

Hit-and-run accidents are different because the at-fault driver may never be found. That changes the claim. In many cases, the injured person must pursue compensation through uninsured motorist coverage.

These claims can be frustrating because your own insurance company often starts acting like the opposing party.  Why?  Because for all intents and purposes, they are. Your insurer may question whether there was contact, whether the unidentified driver caused the crash, whether you reported the accident quickly enough, and whether your injuries are really connected to the collision.

If you were hurt in a hit-and-run crash, you want to preserve evidence quickly. Police reports, photos, nearby video, witness statements, vehicle damage, and prompt medical treatment can make or break the claim.  The good news is that there are rarely witnesses to contradict you.  The bad news is that there are rarely witnesses to support you.  It is all about your credibliity.

Rollover Accidents

Rollover accidents can cause catastrophic injuries. These crashes may involve roof crush, ejection, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, fractures, and death. Rollover cases can involve ordinary negligence, but some also raise product liability questions if the vehicle’s roof structure, restraint system, tires, or stability design contributed to the injuries.

The key question is what caused the rollover. Was the driver forced off the road? Did another vehicle strike the car? Did a tire fail? Was the road design dangerous? Did the vehicle roll because of excessive speed or an unsafe maneuver? The answer changes the legal claim.

Unsafe Lane Change and Sideswipe Accidents

Sideswipe collisions resulting from lane changes are among the hardest accident types to prove. Liability in these types of accidents can be very difficult to establish. The drivers often have conflicting statements of what happened and physical evidence at the scene is usually not helpful. A determination of fault is often made based on witness statements, but even those can be conflicting and subjective.

These cases are often won or lost on small details. Where was the damage on each vehicle? Were there lane markings? Was there a merge? Did either driver signal? Was there a dash cam? Did a witness see one vehicle drift or cut over? Without that proof, insurers often deny liability or try to split blame.

Multiple-Car and Chain-Reaction Accidents

Multiple-car accidents can be more complicated than two-car crashes because everyone may point the finger at someone else. One driver says they were pushed into your car. Another says they stopped in time. Another says the first impact caused everything. The insurance companies may spend months arguing about who caused the chain reaction.

These cases require careful investigation. Vehicle damage, sequence of impacts, witness statements, police diagrams, event data, and timing all matter. If you were in a multiple-car crash, do not assume the first insurance company to call you understands what happened.

What Type of Auto Accidents Have the Lowest Settlement Value?

Rear-end collisions have the lowest average settlement value of any type of auto accident. Although liability is typically easy to prove in these cases, rear-end collisions are usually low-impact and don’t cause the same level of injuries as other types of accidents. This results in a lower average value.

But that is only an average. A rear-end crash that causes surgery, a permanent injury, a concussion, or a serious aggravation of a preexisting condition can still have significant value. The defense will almost always argue that the crash was too minor. The question is whether the medical proof tells a different story.

What Type of Auto Collisions Generate the Highest Settlement Values?

Head-on collisions have the highest average settlement value in a personal injury case. Head-on collisions are high-impact accidents that can cause significant damage to vehicle occupants. Injuries in head-on collisions are usually much more serious compared to rear-end or other accident types. This gives head-on accidents the highest average settlement value.

Pedestrian accidents, rollover crashes, commercial vehicle crashes, and side-impact collisions can also generate high settlement values when the injuries are serious and liability is strong.

What Type of Auto Accidents Are the Hardest to Prove?

Sideswipe collisions resulting from lane changes are the hardest accident type to prove. Liability in these types of accidents can be very difficult to establish. The drivers often have conflicting statements of what happened and physical evidence at the scene is usually not helpful. A determination of fault is often made based on witness statements, but even those can be conflicting and subjective.

Intersection crashes can also be difficult when both drivers claim they had the green light. The same is true for merging accidents, parking lot crashes, and hit-and-run claims where the other driver disappears. In these cases, fast evidence gathering is not optional. It is the case.

What Is the Average Settlement Value for a Rear-End Accident?

The average settlement value for a rear-end accident case will depend on the level of the plaintiff’s injuries. For Level I injuries, the average value is around $15,000 to $25,000. For Level II injuries, the average value is between $60,000 to $100,000. For Level III injuries, the settlement value can easily exceed $200,000, but it is often limited by the available insurance coverage.

Those numbers are only a starting point. A rear-end case with short treatment and no objective injury is not the same as a rear-end case with a herniated disc, injections, surgery, lost wages, or permanent restrictions. Insurance coverage is also a real-world limit. A case can be worth more than the available policy.

Does the Type of Accident Make a Difference in the Settlement Value of an Accident Case?

Accident type can affect the potential settlement value of an accident case; however, the severity of the plaintiff’s injuries is always the primary factor.

The better way to think about it is this: accident type affects how the injury is explained and how liability is proven. The injury drives the value. The crash type helps prove why the injury happened.

Maryland Car Accident Claim Types

Use the links below to find the accident type that best matches your case. These pages explain how the claims work, what insurance companies usually argue, and what settlement amounts and jury payouts may look like in similar cases.

Talk to a Maryland Car Accident Lawyer

If you were hurt in a car accident and you are trying to understand what kind of claim you have, you do not need to figure it out alone. The accident type is a starting point. The real questions are who was at fault, what injuries were caused, what treatment you need, and how much insurance is available.

Our Maryland car accident lawyers can review the facts, explain the likely issues, and help you understand what path makes sense. Call Miller & Zois at 800-553-8082 or get a free online case evaluation. You do not pay us unless we recover compensation for you.