Need an experienced car accident attorney?

---

Rear-end car accidents are among the most common traffic collisions in both New York and Pennsylvania, largely due to congestion, stop-and-go traffic, and distracted driving. Nationally, rear-end crashes account for about 29% of all motor vehicle accidents, and they consistently represent a significant share of reported collisions in New York, particularly in densely populated urban areas like New York City. In Pennsylvania, state crash data show rear end collisions total tens of thousands of incidents each year. These accidents frequently result in injuries even at low speeds, with whiplash and other neck and spinal injuries being the most common. More serious rear-end crashes can also cause back injuries, herniated discs, concussions, broken bones, and traumatic brain injuries.

 In Pennsylvania, commercial truck crashes are a significant safety concern, with around 6,800 heavy truck collisions reported in 2024, including more than 120 fatal injury crashes, reflecting the dangers posed by large freight vehicles on busy interstates and state highways like I-80 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike. These crashes often result from factors like brake or tire failures, unsecured or overloaded trailers, and challenging weather conditions, and smaller vehicle occupants tend to suffer most of the serious injuries due to the size disparity with trucks.  In 2024, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) data show approximately 3,365 truck‑involved crashes in New York State.  Within New York City specifically, large trucks were involved in 481 reported crashes, with Brooklyn having the highest number of such incidents.  

 Highway accidents in Pennsylvania and New York remain a major component of overall road trauma, with busy interstates and state routes seeing thousands of crashes annually. In Pennsylvania, recent crash data show that nearly 9,740 crashes occurred on interstate highways in 2024, with thousands more on other state highways, and over 5,000 people injured on interstate sections alone, highlighting the high raw volume of serious incidents on high-speed roadways. These figures reflect both the heavy use of highways for long-distance travel and freight movement and the persistent risks posed by speed, weather, and driver behavior on high-speed corridors. Speed reduces reaction time and make the implications of highway crashes far more serious. 

 Rollover accidents typically occur when a vehicle loses stability and tips onto its side or roof, often due to sharp turns at high speeds, overcorrection by the driver, collisions with curbs or guardrails, uneven road surfaces, or tire blowouts. Vehicles with a higher center of gravity—such as SUVs, vans, and pickup trucks—are especially prone to rollovers. These crashes are particularly dangerous because occupants may be violently tossed within the vehicle or partially ejected if seat belts are not used. Common injuries from rollover accidents include head and neck injuries, spinal cord injuries, broken bones, internal organ damage, and soft-tissue injuries, with traumatic brain injuries being a serious risk due to repeated impacts as the vehicle rolls. Because of the force involved, rollover crashes often result in more severe injuries than many other types of collisions. 

Traumatic spinal injuries occur when a sudden force from an event such as a car accident damages the spinal cord or surrounding vertebrae, potentially disrupting communication between the brain and the body. These injuries often result from high-impact crashes, rollovers, or rear-end and side-impact collisions and can range in severity from herniated discs and fractured vertebrae to partial or complete paralysis. Common effects include loss of movement or sensation, chronic pain, muscle weakness, and impaired organ function, depending on the location and extent of the injury. Traumatic spinal injuries frequently require immediate emergency care followed by long-term treatment such as surgery, physical therapy, and rehabilitation, and they can permanently affect a person’s mobility, independence, and quality of life. 

Catastrophic injuries sustained in car accidents are life-altering conditions that often result in permanent disability and long-term medical needs. These injuries commonly include traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries leading to partial or complete paralysis, severe burns, multiple fractures, internal organ damage, and amputations, all of which can occur in high-speed crashes, rollovers, or collisions involving large vehicles. Victims of catastrophic injuries may require extensive surgeries, rehabilitation, assistive devices, and ongoing personal care, and the effects often extend beyond physical harm to include emotional, psychological, and financial challenges. Because these injuries fundamentally change a person’s ability to live and work independently, they represent some of the most serious outcomes of motor vehicle accidents.

 Bicycle accidents involving cars often result in serious injuries because cyclists have little physical protection compared to motor vehicle occupants. Common injuries include head and brain injuries, especially when a helmet is not worn, as well as facial injuries and concussions from direct impact with a vehicle or the roadway. Cyclists also frequently suffer broken bones, particularly to the arms, wrists, shoulders, ribs, hips, and legs, as they instinctively brace for impact or are thrown from the bike. Other common injuries include road rash and deep lacerations, spinal and neck injuries, internal organ damage, and knee and ankle injuries, all of which can require extensive medical treatment and prolonged recovery. 

 Distracted driving is a major factor in vehicle crashes in both New York and Pennsylvania, contributing to significant numbers of serious injuries and fatalities each year as drivers take their eyes off the road to use phones or engage in other activities. In 2023, New York reported 113 distraction-related traffic deaths, reflecting how prevalent the problem is even in heavily policed and regulated environments, while Pennsylvania’s distracted driving crashes numbered in the thousands annually, with reports indicating nearly 10,000 such crashes in 2024 resulting in about 49 deaths and over 6,000 injuries. 

 Intersection accidents occur when vehicles, pedestrians or bicyclists cross paths at road junctions, making these locations some of the most dangerous areas on the roadway. Common causes include failure to yield the right of way, running red lights or stop signs, distracted driving, speeding, and misjudging oncoming traffic. Because multiple directions of travel converge, intersection crashes often involve side-impact (T-bone) collisions, which provide less protection to occupants and can lead to serious injuries such as head and brain injuries, chest and abdominal trauma, broken bones, spinal injuries, and soft-tissue damage. The combination of conflicting traffic movements and split-second decision-making means intersection accidents frequently result in severe injuries and significant property damage. 

 In both New York and Pennsylvania, fatal car accidents can lead to wrongful death claims, which allow surviving family members to seek compensation when another driver’s negligence causes a death. In New York, traffic fatalities remain substantial. Wrongful death claims must be filed by the court-appointed personal representative of the deceased’s estate rather than individual family members, with damages potentially covering medical costs, lost support, and loss of companionship under state law.  In Pennsylvania, motor vehicle crashes also result in hundreds to over a thousand fatalities annually, and families may initiate wrongful death actions against negligent drivers or responsible parties without caps on damages, though there is a two‑year statute of limitations for filing such claims.  These claims typically seek to hold the at‑fault party accountable for the profound financial and emotional losses caused by a fatal collision, including funeral and burial expenses, loss of income, and the intangible effects of losing a loved one.

 Unsafe lane change crashes are a significant and frequent type of collision in both New York and Pennsylvania, often resulting from drivers failing to check blind spots, not signaling, misjudging gaps in traffic, or being distracted when merging or shifting lanes. These crashes are typically caused by negligent lane‑changing behavior combined with traffic congestion, speeding, or driver inattention, and they can happen on busy highways as well as urban streets. In New York, unsafe lane changes and improper lane usage also show up in crash reports as notable contributing factors to collisions in congested areas, with hundreds of such incidents recorded in recent traffic data studies. Once a lane change collision occurs, the sideswipe or merging crash often leads to serious injuries including fractures, head and neck trauma, and soft‑tissue damage due to the abrupt lateral forces involved, highlighting the risks of improper lane maneuvers on both states’ roadways. 

 Pedestrian accidents in New York and Pennsylvania are a serious road safety issue, especially in urban areas where foot traffic and vehicle interactions are frequent. In New York State, pedestrian fatalities average around 300 per year, and in major cities like New York City pedestrians can account for a large share of traffic deaths and injuries, with hundreds of serious injuries and over a hundred fatalities reported in recent years as pedestrians are struck in crosswalks or mid‑block crossings.  In Pennsylvania, state crash data show hundreds of pedestrian deaths annually—for example, around 186 pedestrians were killed in 2023—and thousands more injured, with a majority of these crashes occurring outside intersections and often during low‑visibility conditions like night or poor lighting. Children are more susceptible to pedestrian accidents because they don't always understand the implications of entering the roadway. In Pennsylvania cities like Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Scranton, Lancaster, Erie and York, the balance between motorists and pedestrians is risky and leads to serious injuries.