If you have been injured in a Winchester, Tennessee car accident, calling an attorney with a solid history of positive personal injury outcomes, could be the single most important action you can take.  In 2013, the city of Winchester had two fatal auto accidents—one on Sharp Springs Road, the other on Arnold Farm Road. From 1975-2013, Winchester has remained slightly below the Tennessee average for car accidents with injuries, fatal car accidents and car accidents caused by an impaired driver.  While Winchester does not have a huge population base, as the County Seat of Franklin County, the city is immediately adjacent to US Highway 64, and has a four-lane divided highway which connects I-24 to I-65.

Overall, Franklin County, Tennessee had seven fatal automobile accidents in 2013, and seven fatal automobile accidents in 2014. Overall, Franklin County ranked 75^th in the number of automobile crashes, and 79^th in the number of fatalities from automobile collisions. As the city of Winchester continues to experience growth, the number of car collisions is also likely to increase. Most people are shaken up following a car accident, and may not, on their own, end up making the best decisions. Even injuries which appear relatively minor can end up causing long-term medical issues. Having a legal advocate by your side from start to finish who will protect your rights and your future is crucial following a car accident. For more detailed information regarding auto accidents, click here to read our Car Accident Guide. Below, you will find important answers to some of your questions regarding the aftermath of car accidents.

What is the Most Common Type of Car Accident?

Following lower speed, rear impact car accidents, side impact car accidents—also known as “T-bone” accidents—are the most common, and sometimes the most deadly. There are fewer safety features on the sides of cars than on any other part. Although newer, high-end vehicles may come equipped with side curtain airbags, there is no length of hood or trunk between the other car and the human being inside.  Other than a metal and glass door, there is virtually no protection during a side impact crash, which is why this area is known as the “crumple zone.” Intersections are the most common place a side impact collision occurs, usually when a car runs a red light or stop sign. Many people automatically speed up when they see a yellow light, therefore they may be traveling at a fairly high rate of speed when they hit another car.

What are the Most Common Injuries Following a Side Impact Car Accident?

Children are especially vulnerable to side impact car accidents, particularly when not properly restrained in an approved safety seat. While side curtain airbags are designed to protect adults in the event of a crash, a side airbag could actually cause injuries to a very small child.  The severity of a side impact car collision is also dependent on the height and weight of both vehicles. When a tall SUV or truck “T-bones” a much lower car, the driver of the car may sustain serious or fatal head injuries. The most common injuries following a side impact crash are leg and hip injuries, received when the door caves in towards the person’s body. Serious fractures and lacerations as well as crushed ribs and arm injuries are likely. Traumatic brain injury can also occur following a side impact collision, either from the head hitting the side door glass in response to side airbag deployment, or when the oncoming car comes into contact with a person’s head. For a more comprehensive guide to the most common types of auto accidents, click here.

How do Car Accidents Vary Between Men and Women?

Research tells us that men are more than twice as likely to die in a car crash than female drivers, and, in fact, nearly three-quarters of all those killed in car accidents are male. While women reading this may want to attribute these statistics to men simply being worse drivers, men have been shown to do 65 percent more driving on a yearly basis than women. Women drivers have more minor crashes than men, driving more on shorter trips. In essence, women tend to do more of the day-to-day driving tasks such as going to the grocery store or picking up the children from school, and have more of the minor bump-ins such as parking lot collisions. Men tend to do more of the long-distance driving. Some researchers, however, still maintain the reason men have more auto accidents lies not so much in how and where they drive, rather that they are simply more aggressive drivers.

It is true that male drivers take more risks while driving, speed more often than women, and experience more episodes of road rage. There is also the issue of what men drive, as compared to women. Many women with school-age children tend to drive the safest vehicle on the road—the minivan. Men, on the other hand are less likely to be chauffeuring the children, and may drive a less safe vehicle.  Overall, men receive about 5 percent more traffic citations than women, and are more likely to ignore such traffic laws as speeding, passing and yielding the right-of-way. Since teens are more likely to be involved in an auto accident—mostly due to inexperience or risk-taking behaviors—add age to gender, and you find that young, male drivers between the ages of 16 and 23 have auto accident fatality rates of four times the national average.

Do You Need Experienced Legal Help?

Whatever the cause of your car accident, if you have suffered injuries following your Winchester accident due to the negligence of another, having an experienced attorney by your side can make all the difference. The Winchester, TN personal injury attorneys at Martinson & Beason, P.C. have been protecting those injured in auto accidents since 1937. Call us today for a free consultation to find out how we can help you during this difficult time.