Side Impact Car Accidents in Maryland

Our lawyers handle side-impact car accident lawsuits in Maryland. This page is about these claims and their settlement amounts and jury payouts in personal injury lawsuits.

Side-impact collisions are one of the most common types of car accidents in the United States. Drivers who blow through intersections risk colliding or broadsiding cars moving parallel. Similarly, drivers can “sideswipe” or “T-bone” cars in adjacent lanes while merging.

The settlement value of a side-impact collision has a higher average settlement value than the average car crash. Why? Any impact on the side of a vehicle is dangerous for the passengers seated behind a thin wall just a few inches away from the sight of the impact. So, again on average, our car crash attorneys see more severe injuries from these types of crashes. This is, of course, particularly true if the victim is on the same side as the impact.

According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, side-impact and rear-end collisions are the most common type of non-fatal car accidents. This means that side-impact collisions are responsible for a significant portion of the millions of dollars in property damage and medical bills lost due to car accidents yearly.

In terms of fatalities, broadside collisions, when the front of one car rams into the side of another, accounted for 23% of the nation’s fatal car crashes. “Sideswipes” accounted for an additional 2.6% for a combined total of 21.2%. That’s higher than any other type of accident, including head-on collisions.

Deadly Crashes

Head-on collisions are deadly. You knew that before you got here, right? A head-on collision of two cars traveling 45 miles an hour is equivalent to one car hitting a brick wall at 90 miles an hour. However, our lawyers see far fewer head-on crashes than side-impact collisions. Intersections, where many side-impact collisions happen, are notoriously accident-prone.

Side impacts can result in serious injury due to how cars are designed. In the front and back of a car, bumpers, engine, and trunk space create a buffer between passengers and a crash. The sides of a car are much more vulnerable. They are thin, partially made of glass, and designed to crumple to absorb the impact of a collision.

This becomes a disadvantage with a side impact because the walls of the car are punched inward, injuring the people inside. Side airbags were designed to cushion car passengers against these blows. Seatbelts, however, are not much help in this situation. The effectiveness of safety features, as is the case with any car accident, depends on the severity of the crash.

Side Impact Collision Injuries

The location and severity of injuries sustained during a side impact accident depend somewhat on where a person is sitting relative to the point of impact. Passengers sitting on the side where the vehicle is struck are more likely to have serious injuries when broadsided compared with passengers seated on the opposite side.

Passengers seated on the near side of the impact are injured by the other vehicle crushing the car door into them and by the sudden change in direction and velocity. The entire body can be injured by side impact, but the most commonly injured areas of side-impact collision injuries are the chest, elbow, abdomen, head, neck, and pelvis. The most severe side impact injuries involve brain, heart, and thoracic aorta trauma. The aorta is the largest artery in the body, and the thoracic aorta is the section of the aorta that runs through the chest.

The sudden change in direction and velocity and projectiles likewise injure passengers seated on the far side of the impact. Though the side of the car doesn’t come into the cabin and hit them, their bodies can still be thrown into the side and other parts of the car. Injuries like head trauma, contusions, whiplash, and broken bones are just as possible for these passengers.

• Type of injuries surgeons see in sideswipe car accidents

Injuries can be worse for vulnerable passengers such as seniors and children. The safest place for a child to sit is in the middle seat, where they are protected from colliding with either side of the car.

Negligent Driving Causes Side-Impact Collision Injuries

Sometimes, a broadside or sideswipe accident is the result of negligent driving. In some instances, it is possible to prove that a driver could have prevented the damage from being done if he or she was being reasonably careful.

Many successful claims include some variation on the at-fault driver not stopping when other drivers had the right of way. For example, if a driver doesn’t stop at a stop sign and broadsides a car already moving through the intersection, they negligently failed to observe and follow posted traffic rules.

If the at-fault driver’s insurance fails to cover the cost of your property damage, medical bills, and lost time at work or fails to compensate you for your pain and suffering, you can file a lawsuit with the help of our lawyers.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a car accident, please contact us for a free consultation at 1.800.553.8082 or online, here.

Where is the Risk of Serious Injury the Greatest in Side Impact Crashes?

There are three types of side-impact collisions where our lawyers see the most severe injuries:

1. Running or trying to run a red light or stop sign (how to win a red light case)
2. Taking a left turn
3. Pulling out into oncoming traffic

Our car accident lawyers have had some very serious injury cases from people pulling out of parking spaces into traffic. But these are the exceptions. Usually, these are relatively minor injuries.

Side impact crashes are the rare motor vehicle accidents where the risk is greater if you are in the back seat.

Side Impact Collision Settlements and Verdicts

Below are some recent settlements and verdicts in sideswipe injury cases. These help understand the settlement payouts in this type of car accident. This helps you better understand the potential settlement amount for your case.

Still, if you are trying to drill down on the potential settlement compensation payouts for your claim, you are better off looking at the type of injury than the type of accident.

There is no perfect method to evaluate the settlement amount for any car accident claim.  Example settlement compensation amounts and jury payout can help you better understand the potential range of your case.  But one result certainly does not predict another because there are so many variable swirling around.

• January 2024, Maryland, $60,274 Verdict: A 43-year-old entrepreneur was involved in a traffic collision in Baltimore while making a left turn onto Park Heights Avenue; his vehicle was hit by a driver who ran a red light. His car was totaled. The man hire a Baltimore car accident lawyer and filed a claim for neck and back injuries sustained in the crash. After reaching a settlement with the responsible driver, he sought further compensation from Allstate, his underinsured motorist insurer.  He reported experiencing persistent neck and back discomfort, for which he underwent two months of physical therapy and chiropractic treatments. Although there was a temporary relief, the pain resurfaced, leading him to seek an orthopedic evaluation. Diagnostic tests including an MRI and X-rays revealed no abnormalities, but he proceeded to have neck injections in November 2020 and January 2021. Surgical intervention was not deemed necessary, yet it was anticipated that he would continue to suffer from pain indefinitely. The insurer challenged the causality of the injuries, emphasizing the delay in medical treatment post-accident and bringing attention to a subsequent car accident the entrepreneur was involved in during 2023.
• September 2023, Maryland, $26,802 Verdict: The plaintiff was operating his vehicle in the right-hand lane when defendant motorist Emma Massey-Coates turned left in front of him, causing the front of his vehicle to collide with the rear passenger side of the defendant’s vehicle. The plaintiff asserted the defendant was negligent, including for failing to obey a lane markings signal and for failing to yield the right-of-way. Injuries were not specified.
• May 2023, Maryland, $18,165 Verdict: The plaintiff was driving through an intersection when the defendant stuck her vehicle on the passenger side. The plaintiff claimed to suffer injuries to her head, neck, left shoulder, back, chest and left knee, and permanent aggravation of arthritis.
• February 2023, Maryland, $13,959 Verdict: The defendant allegedly struck the driver’s side of the plaintiff’s vehicle, forcing her vehicle to the right where it struck another vehicle waiting at a stop sign. The plaintiff allegedly suffered injuries to her neck, ribs, back, head, and left knee. She claimed she also suffered anxiety and emotional distress. The plaintiff alleged the defendant drove at an accelerated speed and failed to yield to traffic.
• October 2022, Maryland, $23,846 Verdict: The plaintiff was traveling through an intersection on a green light when his vehicle was struck on the passenger side by a vehicle operated by the defendant, who ran a red light at the intersection. The plaintiff suffered unspecified injuries in the accident.
• August 2021, Maryland, $600,000 Verdict: A 69-year-old woman traveled on Lake Avenue in Baltimore City. Another vehicle struck her vehicle’s front passenger side. The woman was brought to the hospital. She was diagnosed with four right rib fractures. The woman experienced recurring abdominal pain. She could not return to work. The woman alleged that the at-fault driver’s negligence caused her injuries. She claimed she failed to yield the right-of-way before turning left. The woman received a $600,000 jury verdict.
• August 2021, Maryland, $56,582 Verdict: A 33-year-old woman approached the intersection of Ritz Way and Virginia Manor Roadway in Prince George’s County. Another vehicle struck her vehicle’s front passenger side. The woman suffered a left wrist fracture, her pre-existing neck injury aggravation, and a neck sprain. She underwent acupuncture, chiropractic, and physical therapy. The woman’s wrist injury resolved after four months, while her neck pain returned to pre-collision levels after 19 months. She alleged that the at-fault driver’s failure to yield the right-of-way caused her injuries. The Prince George’s County jury awarded $56,582.
• June 2021, Maryland, $300,000 Verdict: A man traveled along Crain Highway. Another driver cut him off. The man subsequently sideswiped the vehicle. He presented to an urgent care hours later. The man was diagnosed with thoracic and lumbar sprains. He underwent 30 months of chiropractic therapy. The man’s back injury became permanent. He could no longer sit for extended periods. The man alleged that the at-fault driver’s negligence caused permanent injuries. He claimed he drove recklessly. The jury awarded $300,000.
• October 2020, Maryland, $975,000 Settlement: A 60-something man entered the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and Baker Street in Baltimore City. He was subsequently broadsided. The man went into cardiac arrest. He also suffered chest and extremity contusions and abrasions, lung and liver lacerations and contusions, and right clavicle, rib, and sternum fractures. The man died at the University of Maryland Hospital’s Shock Trauma Center hours later. His children alleged negligence against the at-fault driver. They claimed he ran a red light and failed to yield the right-of-way. This case settled for $975,000.
• January 2020, Maryland, $5,012 Verdict: A 40-something woman drove along the Fallsway in Baltimore City. She proceeded through an intersection. The woman was broadsided. She was diagnosed with soft-tissue neck and back injuries and a right-hand injury. The woman came under an orthopedist’s care. Her neck and back injuries were resolved. However, the woman’s left-hand injury did not. She periodically wore a hand brace. The woman alleged negligence against the at-fault driver. She claimed he failed to watch the road and yield the right-of-way before approaching the intersection. The Baltimore City jury awarded $5,012.
• September 2019, Maryland, $17,900 Verdict: A woman and her son are driving down the road in their minivan. Another driver attempts to pull out of a gas station and does not yield to oncoming traffic. In doing so, she hits the plaintiff’s minivan, injuring both mother and son. The plaintiff hires a side impact accident lawyer and seeks compensation for her and her son’s injuries, medical expenses, and lost wages. The defendant argues that the plaintiff, conversely, struck her vehicle and that the side-impact collision injuries sustained were less severe than the plaintiff claims. However, the defendant later admits responsibility. At trial, the plaintiff is awarded $7,400 for her past medical expenses, $4,000 for noneconomic damages, and $6,500 on behalf of her son.
• April 2017, Maryland, $855,513 Verdict: The plaintiff and his wife are traveling southbound on Monroe Street at its intersection with Lexington Street in Baltimore City. Instead of stopping at the stop sign before pulling out onto Monroe Street, an MTA mobility bus pulls into the intersection and t-bones the plaintiff’s vehicle. The plaintiff is rushed to the hospital. His femur, wrist, and scapula are fractured, requiring surgery. Long after the incident, the plaintiff continues to have difficulty walking, standing, sitting, and using stairs. He relies on opiates to relieve his enduring pain. The defendants, the bus driver and the bus company, admit liability for the accident. The plaintiff’s award includes compensation for pain and suffering and past medical.
• February 2017, Maryland, $25,000 Verdict: A man is driving on Route 3 in Anne Arundel County and is about to pass the intersection with Route 424. While in the intersection, he is broadsided by another car. The man has several injuries from the crash to his ankle, neck, arms, knee, and shoulder. He claims to have suffered significant emotional distress and missed over a month from work while he went to physical therapy.
• January 2013, Maryland, $195,000 Settlement: A self-employed carpenter is driving southbound on South Notch Road, approaching Thompson Corner Road in St. Mary’s County. While attempting to cross the intersection, he is broadsided by a second driver. Following the accident, he is treated for aggravation of pre-existing shoulder and knee injuries. After receiving two surgeries, one to assess a partial rotator cuff tear and a second to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee, he is assigned a 15% right shoulder impairment and a 20% left knee impairment. His treating surgeon says that a total knee replacement will be necessary in the future. The man files a motor vehicle negligence suit against the driver, claiming that while he, the plaintiff, entered the intersection at a green light, the defendant entered the intersection at a blinking red light. The defendant disputes the plaintiff’s allegations and argues that the plaintiff failed to attempt to avoid the collision, making him partially negligent. The defendant’s counsel also argues that the plaintiff suffered from pre-existing arthritis and should recover without surgery. The defendant agrees to make a side impact settlement payout of $195,000.
• September 2013, Maryland: $36,286 Verdict: A 65-year-old retiree is driving in a shopping center parking lot in Baltimore County. Like most shopping center parking lots, it contains travel lanes and stop signs. As he is driving, another driver fails to stop at a stop sign and broadsides the passenger side of his vehicle. Ten days after the accident, the man visits his chiropractor with neck, lower back, and right shoulder pain. He is diagnosed with a re-tear in his right rotator cuff. The tear had received surgical repair before the accident. The man then undergoes a second surgery to undo the damage to his once-repaired rotator cuff. The man hires a T-bone accident attorney and sues the driver of the vehicle that broadsided him, claiming that the defendant was negligent in failing to obey the posted stop sign. The defendant admits responsibility. But the defense lawyer argues that the force of this side impact collision was not severe enough to cause the plaintiff’s rotator cuff to re-tear. The plaintiff’s orthopedic surgeon who performed the second surgery testifies. He offers the opinion that the impact did cause the re-tear and that rotator cuff surgery was necessary. A Towson jury finds in favor of the plaintiff and awards him a compensation payout of $36,286.

Contact Our Side Impact Lawyers

Our lawyers fight to get our clients the money they deserve. This may be by a great settlement or, if necessary, at trial. Our mission is to maximize the value of your case. Call us to discuss your case at 800-553-8082 or get a free online consultation.