Injuries from Second Impact in Car Accidents | St. Louis Car Accident Lawyer

“Second impact” injury in car accident injury cases is a term used in personal injury cases that defines injuries that otherwise would not have occurred or been as severe had there not been some sort of defect with the vehicles design. A more appropriate term that may be used to describe this is “enhanced injury.”

When a second impact injury occurs, it is generally the fault of the manufacturer of the vehicle for failing to use adequate or reasonable care to prevent a driver or passenger from being subjected to an unreasonable risk of injury. To name a few, possible causes of second impact injury can be from a faulty roof, doors, gas tank, steering wheel, and/or seat belt. Among those things, manufacturers are also charged with reasonably preventing items from protruding into the interior of the vehicle which may cause additional injury during a collision or rollover. Also, manufacturers should limit the exposure of sharp edges or seats that easily detach in rear end accidents which can cause further injuries to passengers in the back seat.

In determining whether a vehicle is susceptible to second impact injury it is important to undertake a detailed investigation to determine duty and proximate cause. This includes the vehicles history and an accident reconstruction. If you or a loved has been injured in a car accident, it is important to have all possibilities of injuries investigated. At Henderson & Waterkotte, P.C., our accident injury lawyers explore all possibilities of an accident in order give our clients the best possibility of being fully compensated. There is no legal fee or cost unless we recover compensation on your behalf. Call us today at 314-645-4400 to set up your free consultation.