Annapolis Personal Injury Law Blog
It is easy for people to think that a rear-end accident is usually going to be just a fender-bender that causes some damage to the vehicles but little else.
However, an impact from behind, especially if it is at a high speed can leave victims seriously injured.
Such was the case in another part of Maryland south of the Annapolis area. According to police, one driver continued to travel at full speed in a left turn lane. Because of the flow of traffic, the cars in front of the driver had stopped.
The driver slammed into one of the vehicles, which hit the vehicle in front of it, a minivan. The occupants of the minivan were treated at the scene of the accident but were not transported to the hospital.
The driver who caused the accident, as well as the driver of the vehicle that absorbed the initial impact, had to be taken to nearby hospitals for injuries authorities described as incapacitating. Rescuers had to use what are popularly called the Jaws of Life to remove victims from the vehicles.
Rear-end accidents are not minor affairs
The recent accident is just one example of how serious rear-end collisions can be. Many other rear-enders, which do not grab the headlines, can also leave victims struggling with serious and even debilitating injuries for a long time.
For example, many victims experience whiplash after their vehicles get struck in the rear. The impact can rapidly move a person’s neck and head back and forth, causing the whiplash injury.
Many people will have a harder time turning their necks after this injury, and some may experience sometimes like chronic headaches, dizziness or fatigue. Other symptoms similar to those of a traumatic brain injury can develop.
Usually, the driver who strikes another vehicle from the rear is legally responsible for the accident. These drivers can be legally compelled to pay compensation for the injuries they cause.
