When people think about motor vehicle accidents of any kind, they typically envision a highway pileup or a collision on a dark rural roadway. It is true that accidents occur in these areas frequently, but they are not the only locations where crashes occur. Intersections are also a prime location for dangerous motor vehicle accidents.
According to the Ohio Department of Transportation, half of all motor vehicle accidents occur at intersections. While many of these crashes occur in cities like Cleveland, they also occur at intersections on rural roads as well. Engineers who help design roadways call intersections “planned point of conflict” because they contain many vehicles and pedestrians coming and going in different directions.
Some motor vehicle accidents occurring at intersections are minor because the vehicles may not be moving very fast. However, even collisions between relatively slow-moving vehicles can result in very serious injuries. Below are several additional facts about motor vehicle accidents that happen in intersections.
- Drivers under the age of 25 experience the most intersection collisions
- Most accidents that occur at intersections happen between the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays
- Between 2006 and 2010, more than 1,500 people perished in intersection crashes
- During the same time period, more than 255,000 injuries occurred in intersection crashes
Victims of intersection accidents can expect to spend many thousands of dollars for immediate and continuing medical treatment. Most people do not have access to this kind of money even when insurance companies pay their claims. Those looking for alternative methods of compensation should consider taking their story to a lawyer who can help them identify additional ways to seek recompense for the harm they have suffered.