A 38-year-old man was ejected from a Dodge Caravan after being struck by a Ford F-350 pickup truck killing him instantly. The accident happened just after 8:40 p.m. on Boekel Rd and U.S. 95. According to Idaho State Patrol Trooper at the scene, the Ford pickup ran a stop sign going eastbound on Boekel Rd. and struck the Caravan on the driver’s side ejecting a passenger.
It’s reported that all people in the Caravan were wearing their seatbelts and that alcohol was suspected to be a factor in the crash, although it’s not indicated which driver may have been impaired.
Ejection Accidents
Ejection accidents are dangerous and can involve any type of vehicle and a variety of crashes. An ejection accident happens when an occupant of a vehicle is thrown completely out of the vehicle during a car crash, and a partial ejection is when a significant portion of the body is still inside the car.
In a 2015 study by the Insurance Information Institute, 80 percent of all people completely ejected from their vehicle in a collision die from their injuries, and this goes down to 60 percent if the person is partially ejected. The reasons for this are many. First, for a crash to cause an ejection, it is usually a violent collision or a rollover. A person who is ejected has probably endured several impacts to his or her body by the time they are outside the vehicle.
Second, studies show that in around 97 percent of ejections, the person wasn’t wearing their seatbelt which adds to the danger and risk to the person.
Common Ejection Injuries
The vast majority of ejections come from a rollover crash. This means that in most ejections, the vehicle was impacted with enough force to tip the car over and eject the person. From this, there are come common injuries that occur:
- Fatality
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Concussion
- Compression Injuries
- Broken Bones (Ribs, legs and wrists most common)
- Deep Bruises
- Deep Lacerations
How to Prevent Ejections
The best thing to do to prevent an ejection is to wear a seatbelt which will instantly reduce the risk of ejection by over 90 percent including rollover accidents.
Not only will it help reduce ejections and therefore ejection fatalities, seatbelts save lives in all types of crashes. The NHTSA reports that seatbelts reduce the risk of fatal injury to front seat passenger car occupants by 45 percent and the risk of moderate-to-critical injury by 50 percent. For light truck occupants, the risk is reduced by 60 percent and 65 percent, respectively.
Do I need an Attorney?
If you’ve been injured in an ejection accident, the best thing to do is to talk to an attorney who knows the law and has experience with insurance companies. Insurance companies have deep pockets, and they don’t mind spending their money on expensive high-rise attorneys to deny you your rightful compensation. So while it’s not required to have an attorney represent you in your personal injury claim, it’s smart to at least talk to an attorney who knows the law and who can give you good advice.
The law firm of Crary, Clark, Domanico, & Chuang, P.S., serves clients in Spokane, WA, Coeur d’Alene, ID, and surrounding communities. They can go toe-to-toe with the insurance companies and their lawyers to get you fair compensation for your injuries. Call them at (509) 926 4900, or send them a message by clicking here.
