Side Impact Collision, Who’s At Fault UK: A Complete Guide 2024

Hassanbro560
September 2, 2024
Insurance & Compensation Strategies
Car Collision, Impact collision, side impact collision

Have you been involved in a side-impact collision? If yes, you will first think the accident wasn’t your fault as you followed the traffic rules. However, you cannot decide without considering a few impacts and things.

In this detailed guide, we’ll look at a few things to understand who’s at fault in a side-impact collision. You need to understand the nature and impact of a side-impact collision before declaring who’s at fault. Before delving into further details, let’s discuss side impact collision first:

What is a Side Impact Collision?

A side impact collision is an accident in which the sides of both cars get impacted from the front or rear sides. When a vehicle hits the side of another car, whether parked in the parking or driving on the highway, it comes under a side impact collision.

Unfortunately, this collision also leads to severe damages and serious injuries in critical cases. However, side-impact collisions don’t always happen because of rash driving but also because of the driver’s careless behaviour. Here are a few things that may cause a side-impact collision;

Evidence to Prove Who’s At Fault in Side Impact Collision

If someone has been involved in a side-impact collision, he has to collect the following evidence:

Driver’s information (ID, Name, Insurance details)
Severity of damages to the vehicle
Photos & videos of the incident
Causes of side impact collision
Witness statements & records
Vehicle’s information

What are the Common Causes of A Side Impact Collision?

Several reasons and things can lead to a side-impact collision. However, you must focus on the main things to prove who’s at fault. So, let’s take a detailed look at a few of the most common reasons behind a side impact collision:

If a vehicle runs at a high or over speed, it might be challenging to stop it. Even if the driver tries to stop the car from lowering the consequences of a collision, he cannot because of overspeeding. It is more difficult to stop an overspeeding car than a high-speed one.

The collision force will be much higher because of overspeeding, significantly impacting the side of the other vehicle. In severe cases, overspeeding might also lead to other driver’s death due to the high impact of side collisions.

The most common cause of distracted driving is using a mobile phone. It may distract the driver and reduce the focus on other vehicles while driving, even on a high-traffic road.

Distraction might also occur because of drinking and eating. Because of these distractions, the driver might not see the other car, which can lead to a high-impact side collision.

A driver who’s driving under the influence of any drug might lead to a high risk of a side-impact collision. For a driver who’s under the influence of drugs, it might be impossible for him to focus on the other’s vehicle, the car’s speed and stay in the right lane.

It is also known as tailgating and might lead to a severe side impact collision. According to UK laws and regulations, driving your car too close to other vehicles is prohibited. That’s why you have to maintain a specific distance from other vehicles while driving, especially on the motorway.

Give enough space to other cars while driving on a high-traffic road. This will help reduce the risks of side-impact collisions and damage to other vehicles.

What to Do After a Side Impact Collision? After a Side Impact Collision?

It is distressing to be involved in a side-impact collision. However, you have to perform a few tasks immediately after a non-fault accident to reduce the severity of damages. Here are a few steps to follow after a side-impact collision:

Safety Comes First

After being involved in a side-impact collision, the first and foremost thing to do is to focus on your safety. If you got injured in this collision, seek medical assistance immediately. Even if the injuries are minor, you must call the emergency helpline for your and other drivers' safety. Besides this, it is also crucial to collect medical evidence from a side-impact collision.

Collect the Evidence

After a side impact collision, collect the evidence to prove who’s at fault. The evidence is also necessary to understand how the accident occurred. You have to collect the following information after a car collision:

A detailed document to offer all details about how the accident occurred
Gather witness statements, records and voice notes
Vehicle information, involved in side impact collision
Driver’s details (ID, name, insurance details)
Photos & videos of the incident
Location of accident
Other driver’s details

How to Prove Who’s At Fault After a Side Impact Collision?

It’s time to decide who’s at fault after a side-impact collision. To prove who’s at fault, you have to focus on the following aspects:

Right Turn Collision

If damage occurs to the back of the car after the collision, the driver at the back will be considered a faulty person. Even if you proceed with this collision case in court, the court will feel the driver at the back as a defective person.

Damages to the Sides of the Car

If both vehicles have been involved in a side-impact collision, it might damage their respective sides. If a left-turning car has damage on its front end and damage on the other vehicle’s front-right end, the left-turning car will likely be at fault.

Damages to the Back of the Car

Malfunction Car Parts

If you can suddenly stop your car on the road because of defective or malfunctioning parts, it may lead to a side-impact collision. In this type of collision, finding out who’s at fault, a mechanic or car manufacturer, is difficult.

Bad Weather Conditions

A side-impact collision might occur if the driver cannot see the road because of heavy rain, fog, or snow. Defining who is at fault is still tricky in this type of collision. That’s why drive carefully in a foggy, snowy, rainy season, especially on the motorway.

Road Conditions

In severe situations, large potholes or rocks on the roads might lead to an unstable drive and a side-impact collision. A bad road condition might also force a car to change direction and collide with other vehicles. In this type of side impact collision, the poor road infrastructure and authorities will be responsible.

Claim A Side Impact Collision with Continental Car Hire

If you don’t know what to do after a side-impact collision on the UK roads, it’s time to contact Continental Car Hire. We’ll assist you throughout the claim process and prove you were not at fault.
All you need to do is provide us with the details and photos of the collision so we can quickly assess who’s at fault.

Once proven you were not faulty, we’ll help you win the maximum compensation.
There is no need to contact your insurer if the side-impact collision was not your fault. We are here to keep your no-claim bonuses untouched and proceed with your claim promptly if you are in London, UK.