Some types of collisions may present more risk of dramatic injuries and vehicle destruction. Major size discrepancies between vehicles can lead to severe wrecks. High-speed crashes on highways or rural roads can also be particularly devastating.
When compared with involving high speeds, an urban collision that occurs at around 25 to 35 miles per hour (mph) may not seem like a particularly severe incident. People involved in these collisions may not adequately assess themselves for warning signs of injuries, as they assume that low-speed crashes are not especially dangerous. Despite what people might believe, crashes at lower speeds still have the potential to cause devastating injuries and property damage losses.
The force involved is still extreme
While a collision at lower speeds may not be quite as dangerous as a collision involving the same vehicles traveling at higher speeds, any collision has the potential to cause serious injury. For example, a lower-speed crash might lead to a driver hitting their head on the steering column or on the window of the vehicle. They could then develop a traumatic brain injury that they overlook until symptoms worsen.
Lower-speed collisions can also cause a host of different soft tissue injuries. People can develop whiplash after a crash even if the vehicle speeds were relatively low. People can also break bones in lower-speed crashes, especially if they have underlying medical conditions that increase their likelihood of a fracture.
Even medical conditions that respond to treatment or heal on their own can generate thousands of dollars in medical expenses and leave people out of work for weeks. Urban collisions can also potentially involve pedestrians or people on bicycles. While their risk of catastrophic injury or mortality may be lower due to the reduced speed of the collision, they are still vulnerable to severe injury and death in a crash caused by an enclosed vehicle.
Rather than dismissing the possibility of injuries and expenses immediately, those involved in lower-speed collisions may need to see a doctor and delay settling insurance claims until they have a better idea of their products. Pursuing appropriate compensation after a car crash is often possible when people sustain injuries, regardless of the speed of the vehicle involved in the wreck at issue.
