Anderson Injury Lawyers | October 27, 2025 | Car Accidents
Car accidents are alarmingly common in Texas. According to the Texas Motor Vehicle Traffic Crash Facts for 2024, there was approximately one reportable car accident per minute throughout the state that year.
Sideswipe accidents are among the most hazardous types of collisions, largely due to the conditions typically involved. Here’s what to know:
How Do Sideswipe Accidents Happen?
A sideswipe accident is any accident where the side of one vehicle strikes the side of another while traveling in the same direction. These collisions occur most frequently on roads with two or more lanes where vehicles travel in the same direction.
This means that most sideswipe incidents are highway accidents. It also means that sideswipes are often high-speed collisions.
Distracted Driving and Sideswipe Accidents
One of the more prevalent causes of sideswipe accidents is distracted driving. Any form of distraction that causes a driver to take their eyes, hands, or attention off the road can lead to a crash.
Examples of common distractions include:
- Phones and other digital devices
- Vehicle sound systems
- Food and beverages
- Roadside accidents or other interesting events outside the vehicle
When someone is distracted while driving, they aren’t focused on the road. During this interval, their vehicle may start to veer into another lane. If the driver were looking at the road, they would notice the vehicle leaving the lane and correct the deviation. When they’re distracted, though, they can’t act in time to prevent a sideswipe accident.
Other Common Causes of Sideswipe Accidents
Several other conditions can also result in sideswipe accidents:
Inclement Weather
When the roads are wet or icy, it’s easy for drivers to lose traction and slide out of their lanes. As a rule, you should slow down whenever you’re driving on wet or icy roads. This is true even if slowing down would force you to drive well under the speed limit. Remember, the speed limit is the maximum safe traveling speed assuming ideal conditions.
If you don’t slow down, you’re much more likely to lose traction. Once you do, it can be almost impossible to regain control of your vehicle, even if you’re paying attention. Consequently, you’re more likely to get into a sideswipe accident if there are vehicles in the adjacent lanes.
While icy weather is rare in Texas, it can occur during winter storms. You should be particularly wary of this type of weather if you lack experience driving on icy roads. Slick conditions make safe driving difficult even for the most experienced motorists.
Driver Fatigue
Excessive fatigue can also lead to sideswipe accidents. When you drive while tired, your reflexes are significantly worse than when you’re awake and alert. If you’re exhausted enough to drift off intermittently, it means you’re losing control entirely for brief periods.
Either situation could result in your vehicle drifting into an adjacent lane. There are usually fewer cars on the road at times when most people are driving while tired, but a momentary lapse at any time can cause a sideswipe accident.
Contact Our Fort Worth Car Accident Lawyers at Anderson Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation
Sideswipe accidents ordinarily take place at high speeds when one or more drivers act negligently. This is a perfect formula for catastrophic injuries or fatalities.
When you’re on the road, you should pay close attention to whether other motorists are driving dangerously to avoid becoming the victim of a sideswipe accident and suffering the various losses these mishaps can entail.
If you are involved in a sideswipe accident caused by a negligent driver, you deserve to be compensated for any resulting losses. Call the Fort Worth car accident attorneys at Anderson Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation. We can review the facts of your case and provide guidance on your next steps.
If you’ve been injured in an accident in Fort Worth, Dallas, or Austin and need legal help, contact our personal injury lawyers at Anderson Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation. We proudly serve Tarrant County, Dallas County, and throughout Texas.
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