A merge left collision may occur when a vehicle enters a highway and collides with another vehicle or when a driver changes lanes in busy traffic. A rear-end accident is when a vehicle collides into another vehicle from the back. This can happen in the middle of heavy traffic or when one of the two vehicles is parked.
Both types of collisions can result in some serious health repercussions. According to the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), 30% of all accidents are rear-end accidents, which makes them the most common type of car accidents. Although there is no exact data with regard to merge left accidents, the NHTSA reports that 40% of all accidents are intersection-related.
Causes of Merge Left and Rear-End Collisions
There are several causes of merge left collisions.
- Driver Was Too Fast (or Slow): A merge left collision might occur when the driver is merging into a highway and their speed does not match the speed of oncoming vehicles.
- Driver Didn’t Signal: A merge left collision may also occur when the driver doesn’t signal that they will be merging left.
- Driver Crosses Lanes: Sometimes, when a driver merges left drastically and tries to cross over several lanes, a merge left collision may occur.
There are many causes of rear-end accidents.
- Driver’s Car Malfunctioned: It’s possible that the driver’s car malfunctioned, which meant that they were unable to brake in time to avoid the collision.
- Bad Driving: Maybe the driver at fault was simply not a good driver. Aggressive drivers tend to drive too fast and brake too late. At the opposite end of the spectrum are timid drivers who just don’t brake in time.
In the following cases, it’s possible for the driver to be involved in both, a merge left or a rear-end collision:
- Driver Was Distracted: If the driver was on their phone, talking or texting or if there was loud music or other people in the car who distracted the driver, this can result in a merge left/rear end collision.
- Driver Was Intoxicated: It could also be that the driver had consumed alcohol or marijuana which resulted in intoxication, bad driving and slower reflexes.
- Bad Weather Conditions: Maybe it was raining or snowing, and visibility was bad, so the driver didn’t see the other vehicle. Or maybe the roads were flooded or slippery, which meant that the brakes didn’t work as well as they should have, under ideal conditions.
Who’s at Fault in a Merge Left/Rear-End Accident?
When it comes to a merge left accident, it’s generally the driver who is merging who is considered to be at fault. This is because the merging driver is supposed to give the right of way to vehicles who are already in the lane. But there are some cases when the merging driver may not be considered to be at fault.
- Aggressive Driver: Sometimes, the driver who is already in the lane might aggressively cut off the merging driver because they feel that they are being cut off. In such cases, it may not be considered the merging driver’s fault that the merge left accident occurred.
- Driver Changing Lanes: At the very moment when one driver is trying to merge into a highway or a lane, another driver might be trying to change lanes too. This might result in a merge left accident.
In the majority of cases, the rear driver is at fault in a rear-end collision. In general, it’s the rear driver who collides into the one in front due to their distracted or intoxicated driving. However, there are certain cases when the driver in front may be responsible.
- Sudden Braking: If the driver in front brakes suddenly, causing the car behind to rear-end them, then they may be at fault.
- Sudden Reversing: If someone reverses suddenly, causing the rear-end of their car to collide with someone else’s car, then they might be at fault.
- Faulty Equipment: If there’s something wrong with the car (a flat or a broken taillight, for example) and the driver still continues to drive it, then they could be found to be at fault.
In cases of distracted driving/intoxication, the merge left/rear-end collision might turn out to be the fault of whichever driver was driving distractedly or under the influence of alcohol/drugs.
Medical Problems Caused by Merge Left/Rear-End Accidents
A merge left/rear-end accident can have very serious health repercussions.
- Whiplash: Whiplash is basically a neck sprain. But according to the Mayo Clinic, some people can have pain for months or years after the whiplash occurs. You can also have neck pain, loss of range of motion, headaches, tingling and pain in your shoulders and arms, fatigue and dizziness.
- Back Injuries: You might have back injuries as well, when you are in a merge left/rear-end accident. You can get sprains, strains, herniated discs and fractured vertebrae, depending on how bad the collision was. According to Cedars-Sinai, you may have to get steroid injections or even surgery for a bad back injury.
- Brain Injury: You might even end up with a brain injury when you have a merge left/rear-end accident. Concussion is very common when you have this kind of car accident. The symptoms are confusion, dizziness, loss of balance and feeling sleepy all the time. There might also be long-term repercussions.
- Broken Bones: Broken bones are very common in any type of vehicle accident. Although having a broken bone might not seem that serious, keep in mind that it will take at least three months to heal, and you might be unable to walk or use your arm during that time.
How to Get Compensated for a Merge Left/Rear-End Accident
You’ll need to get medical help right away when you have a merge left/rear-end collision. And it’s true that medical help can be expensive. But that’s why you have insurance. The insurance policy of your vehicle (or possibly, the insurance policy of the vehicle that collided with yours) should cover all your medical expenses. If you were badly hurt in the accident and it’s going to have long term consequences for you, you might even be able to get more compensation.
However, keep in mind that it can be tough to deal with an insurance company on your own. They’re going to have a number of lawyers on their task force, who are going to try and save the company money. So it makes sense for you to get your own lawyer who can fight for your rights and get you the compensation you deserve.
Merge Left/Rear-End Accident FAQs
- Do I need an attorney after a merge left/rear-end accident? It’s always best to work with an attorney because, in most cases, they will be able to navigate the system better and get you more compensation.
- Can I get compensated if my injuries are not visible? In some cases, people suffer from whiplash which does not cause any visible injuries. But as long as your whiplash has been documented by a medical professional, your lawyer can work towards getting you compensation for it.
- Can I get compensated for time I had to take off from work? Once again, if you can document your injuries and how they caused you to take time off from work, your lawyer can work with you to get compensation for the work time you missed.
Consulting a Lawyer for Your Merge Left/Rear-End Accident
Getting compensated for the injuries you receive and for the damage done to your vehicle may be challenging for someone who is not used to navigating the legal system. If you have been involved in a merge left/rear-end accident, contact the San Francisco bike accident attorneys of sfbikeaccidentattorney.com for your consultation.
