Each car accident is a traumatic experience, potentially causing serious injuries and leaving you with expensive medical bills. The differences between the car accident types determine your medical treatment, the recovery process, and the evidence that will benefit your claim.
As the leading Asheville car accident lawyer, Lakota Denton helps North Carolina residents win complex car accident claims involving serious injuries.
If you’ve been in any type of car accident, you can win full compensation if the accident was due to the other driver’s recklessness. Below are the most common types of car accidents our clients experience:
Particularly common on congested roads like Patton Avenue and during tourist season downtown, rear-end collisions often occur when drivers fail to maintain safe following distances.
These accidents frequently happen near popular destinations like the Biltmore Estate entrance or along Hendersonville Road during rush hour.
Even low-speed rear-end collisions can cause serious injuries to the back and spine.
Whiplash occurs when the head rapidly moves forward and backward, stretching and potentially tearing the ligaments and muscles in the neck.
Rear-end crashes can cause the soft cushioning between vertebrae to bulge or rupture.
Sudden movement can cause the brain to impact the inside of the skull, resulting in traumatic brain injuries.
These devastating accidents occur with concerning frequency on winding mountain roads like the Blue Ridge Parkway and Town Mountain Road, especially during adverse weather conditions when visitors to Asheville are unfamiliar with mountain driving.
Multiple simultaneous traumatic injuries. Most forms of polytrauma in head-on collisions involve injuries to the neck and head.
Injuries to the chest cavity, potentially affecting the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels.
Fractures of the facial bones often require specialized maxillofacial surgery at Mission Hospital in Biltmore Avenue.
Brain damage at both the site of impact is known as a coup lesion and, on the opposite side of the brain, a contrecoup lesion. The jarring of the brain against the skull causes shearing (tearing) of the internal lining, tissues, and blood vessels, leading to internal bleeding, bruising, or swelling of the brain.
Side impact crashes often occur at busy Asheville intersections like the merger of I-240 and I-40 or the complicated intersections near the Grove Park Inn. Tourist-heavy areas around the River Arts District are also frequent sites for these side-impact accidents.
Lateral compression refers to trauma to the side of the body, often affecting the thoracic cage. Pelvic fractures are one of the more common injuries after a side-impact collision.
A pneumothorax or collapsed lung can occur from penetrating injuries after a side impact crash. In other cases, blunt force trauma to the chest may collapse the lung.
Fractures of the rib and hip occur when the force of the vehicle collision damages the bone structures at the side of the body. Rib fractures are particularly concerning as victims often don’t understand the full extent of the damage until days after the crash.
Asheville’s steep roads, including Town Mountain Road and Sunset Mountain, are regular sites of rollover accidents. The combination of sharp curves and elevation changes leads to regular rollovers in the Blue Ridge Mountain region, especially during winter weather.
Spinal cord compression may lead to temporary or permanent neurological deficits.
Fractures require urgent diagnostic care and treatment at Mission Hospital’s Level II Trauma Center.
Crush injuries can lead to compartment syndrome, a condition in which increased pressure on the nerves, muscles, and blood vessels (compartments) can cause the victim to experience excruciating pain from swelling in the arms and legs.
Spleen ruptures and liver lacerations are just two forms of organ damage that can occur during rollover accidents due to the force of the impact between the vehicle and the road surface.
Single-vehicle accidents most commonly occur on the challenging roads around Mount Pisgah and other mountain passes, especially during fall when the scenery can distract drivers and wet roads increase stopping distance. Wildlife encounters, particularly with deer on the Blue Ridge Parkway, are another contributing factor to many single-vehicle accidents.
Sudden braking causes deceleration injuries that impact internal organs, with the potential for serious damage to the aorta, spleen, and lungs.
Fractures of the lower and upper extremities, including the patella (kneecap), hip, and shoulder, occur when single vehicles collide with roadside objects.
Traumatic brain injury refers to the full spectrum of brain injuries, from low-grade concussions to severe traumatic brain injuries with paralysis. Speed is the most common link in single-vehicle accidents, causing the most serious traumatic brain injuries.
These often occur during heavy traffic periods on I-26 or I-40, particularly near the major interchanges around Asheville. The number of multi-vehicle accidents in Asheville rises during the tourist season between fall and winter when drivers may not drive safely for the quickly changing conditions.
The sudden impact from multiple vehicles colliding at various angles can cause severe spine and back injuries. Herniated discs and spinal fractures are two leading medical concerns in multiple vehicle accidents.
The twisting force of multi-vehicle accidents causes soft-tissue injuries to ligaments and tendons in the knees and shoulder. These injuries are medically complex, requiring long-term rehabilitation alongside surgical intervention.
One of the more common reasons why facial and neck injuries occur in multi-vehicle accidents is when drivers and passengers turn toward the sound of an accident. As a result, their bodies twist. Cervical discs in the upper back and neck sustain serious damage. Facial injuries to the eye and bones in the cheek and forehead often occur when windshield glass breaks and pieces enter the vehicle.
According to the latest data from the North Carolina Department of Transportation, the following are the most common causes of state-wide car accidents:
Practice Areas
For your car accident claim, turn to a local accident attorney with many years of experience winning settlements and securing court judgments. Lakota Denton is a rising star within North Carolina personal injury law. He’s won millions of dollars for car accident victims and is ready to help you secure fair compensation.
Don’t settle for less than you deserve after your accident. Call Lakota Denton at (828) 333-5996 for your free case review or book online to schedule an appointment.
