When you think about the fatal car accidents that occur in Tennessee, you may immediately think of collisions with multiple vehicles. A single-vehicle collision can be deadly, though, if a car crashes into a tree or other fixed objects.
Collisions between a car and a fixed object can be fatal for many reasons. According to Road and Track magazine, when most cars run into a fixed object, they do not collide head-on. This means that if 25 percent of your bumper hits the object, your car’s supportive structure cannot take the brunt of the impact and your car has less time to slow down. In this scenario, your suspension system can move backward and may sometimes cause damage to your steering column and the door frame.
This situation can be fatal because you travel at the same speed as your car. Your body typically continues to move forward even when your car slows down after hitting a fixed object. Additionally, your vehicle may rotate if a collision was not head-on. This means that your body may hit a window or move toward your car’s center instead of being cushioned by the airbag. After your car hits an object, it may sometimes spin and crash into another object. This can sometimes cause seats to become unattached from the floor.
Fixed object collisions can be fatal for passengers as well. As your car rotates, passengers may experience more deceleration on their side of the car, and the wounds they incur can be more serious if they are not wearing seat belts.
This information is intended to educate and should not be used in place of legal advice.