Queens Blind Spot Accident Lawyer

We have years of experience helping clients file a car accident claim, deal with adjusters, and get fair compensation. If someone else's mistake caused your crash, our team is ready to help you move forward and focus on healing.

What Is a Blind Spot Accident?

Blind spot crashes are a common type of motor vehicle accident, especially on highways or in busy areas like Queens. They often involve sideswipes, pushing vehicles into oncoming traffic, or forcing them off the road. These wrecks can cause car accident injuries like whiplash, broken bones, or even traumatic brain injuries in severe cases.

Many motor vehicle accident victims don't expect to be hit, which means they don’t have time to brake or swerve. That makes the injuries worse. A car accident lawyer can help victims of blind spot crashes understand their rights and take legal action against the at-fault driver.

Common Scenarios in Queens

• Lane Changes on the BQE or Grand Central Parkway – Heavy traffic makes it easy to miss cars in adjacent lanes.
• Merging Onto Expressways – Drivers often fail to spot fast-approaching vehicles already in the lane.
• Turning at Busy Intersections – Blind spots can hide motorcycles, bikes, or small cars.
• Backing Out of Driveways or Parking Spaces – Drivers often miss passing cyclists or other vehicles.
• Rideshare Pickups and Drop-offs – Quick stops and sudden moves can block visibility and cause lane-change accidents.

What Causes Blind Spot Accidents?

Blind spot accidents happen when drivers fail to notice vehicles, bikes, or people in areas not visible in mirrors. These crashes are avoidable with proper care, but many happen due to carelessness, poor visibility, or bad driving habits.

Driver Fails to Check Mirrors or Turn Head

One of the leading causes of blind spot crashes is when a driver relies only on their mirrors and doesn’t turn their head to check before switching lanes. Even when mirrors are properly positioned, large blind spots still exist on both sides of a car or truck, especially in heavy traffic areas like Queens.

A quick head check could prevent many of these vehicle accidents, but distracted or lazy drivers often skip this step. When a driver doesn’t make the effort to look, they put others at serious risk of car accident injuries, and victims may need help from an accident lawyer to hold them accountable.

Sudden Lane Changes Without Signaling

Quick lane changes without using turn signals are incredibly dangerous, especially when another car or motorcycle is riding in the blind spot. This kind of driving is common in Queens, where traffic is dense, and drivers often feel pressure to move fast.

Without a signal, nearby drivers don’t have time to adjust or avoid the vehicle that’s merging. When someone suddenly enters your lane without warning, it often leads to a sideswipe or push into another lane. These car accidents can cause damage, injuries, and chaos. A skilled car crash attorney can help prove the driver acted recklessly.

Distracted or Rushed Driving

A driver who is texting, adjusting the radio, or simply rushing to beat traffic often skips important safety checks, like looking over their shoulder before merging or turning. Distracted driving is a growing problem across New York, and when drivers move without fully checking their blind spots, they create a perfect setup for a crash.

In many car accident cases, the driver doesn’t even realize someone was there until the collision happens. These preventable vehicle accidents cause serious injuries and lead to major disputes with insurance companies. That’s why you should always speak with an accident lawyer early.

Inadequate Blind Spot Monitoring Technology

While newer vehicles come equipped with blind spot sensors, not all systems are accurate or reliable. Some drivers also ignore alerts or turn off the system altogether. When tech fails or isn’t used properly, it can’t protect others on the road.

In motor vehicle accidents involving newer cars, part of the blame may rest on the driver for ignoring warnings or on the vehicle manufacturer if the system was faulty. These cases require thorough investigation, and car accident lawyers can help review records, manuals, and sensor data to understand how the failure contributed to the car crash.

Driving in a Truck or Bus’s “No-Zone”

Large trucks and buses have wide blind spots, also called “No-Zones,” where smaller vehicles can completely disappear from view. If a car stays in one of these zones for too long, the driver of the larger vehicle may change lanes and collide with them, unaware they were ever there.

This happens often in construction accident zones or on Queens highways, where space is tight. Commercial drivers must be trained to check these areas, and failure to do so may be negligence. When these motor vehicle accidents happen, both the truck driver and their employer may share liability.

Vehicles Most Commonly Involved in Blind Spot Accidents

Passenger Cars

Most car accident cases involving blind spots include regular passenger vehicles, especially when drivers rely too much on mirrors or try to merge without checking their surroundings carefully. These crashes often happen during lane changes or in tight traffic where visibility is reduced, and even a brief moment of inattention can result in a dangerous car crash.

Although smaller than trucks or buses, cars still have significant blind zones that drivers must manage carefully. When a passenger car causes a collision due to improper lane changes, accident victims in the other vehicle may be eligible to file a car accident claim.

Commercial Trucks and Delivery Vans

Large commercial vehicles have wide and dangerous blind spots along both sides, directly behind, and even in front of the truck, which makes it extremely difficult for drivers to see nearby cars or motorcycles.

Many motor vehicle accidents happen when trucks change lanes or turn without spotting a smaller vehicle in these “No-Zones.” Delivery drivers often work under tight schedules, which can cause them to rush and make unsafe moves. When these collisions happen, victims often suffer severe injuries, and responsibility may fall not just on the driver, but also on the employer, depending on company training and practices.

Buses and Public Transit Vehicles

Buses, especially public transit vehicles, frequently operate in crowded city streets and deal with tight turns, heavy traffic, and numerous stops. Their size creates large blind spots where cars, bicycles, and even pedestrians can vanish from view completely, particularly on the right side and near the rear.

When a bus makes a turn or pulls back into traffic without properly checking these areas, the result is often a collision with nearby vehicles or even a bicycle accident. In many cases, claims are brought against both the driver and the city agency responsible for training and overseeing transit operations.

Motorcycles and Bicycles

Motorcycles and bicycles are smaller and faster-moving than other vehicles, making them more likely to be hidden in a driver’s blind spots, especially when traveling next to or behind a larger car or truck. Many drivers fail to check twice before merging or turning, which often leads to motor vehicle accidents that leave riders with serious car accident injuries such as fractures, road rash, or traumatic brain injuries.

These cases are especially dangerous because even a minor impact can throw a rider from their bike. Riders involved in vehicle accidents often require long-term care and help from a trusted car accident lawyer.

Rideshare Vehicles (Uber, Lyft)

Rideshare drivers often rely on GPS, deal with frequent pick-ups and drop-offs, and may not be familiar with local traffic laws, especially in busy areas of Queens. This leads to frequent lane changes, stops, and turns, all of which increase the chance of a blind spot collision. Since these drivers may be distracted or in a rush, they often fail to fully check their surroundings.

When an accident scene involves a rideshare vehicle, determining liability can be more complex due to insurance coverage from both the driver and the rideshare company. A Queens car accident attorney can help sort through these details.

Injuries Commonly Caused by Blind Spot Collisions

Whiplash and Neck Injuries

When a driver changes lanes and hits another car, the force of the impact can cause the victim’s head to snap forward and backward, resulting in whiplash or other neck injuries that may not show symptoms right away but can last for weeks or even months.

These car accident injuries can limit mobility, cause chronic pain, and affect daily life. Even in low-speed car accidents, the neck is highly vulnerable. Insurance adjusters may try to minimize this type of injury, which is why it's important to speak with a car accident lawyer who understands how to prove its real impact on your health and lifestyle.

Broken Bones and Lacerations

In a car crash involving a lane change or sideswipe from a larger vehicle, broken bones are common due to the angle and force of impact, especially when smaller cars or motorcycles are involved. Victims may suffer fractured arms, ribs, hips, or legs, sometimes requiring surgery, rehabilitation, or months off work.

Lacerations caused by shattered glass or jagged metal can also lead to infections or permanent scarring. These types of common car accident injuries are painful and disruptive, often preventing people from working or taking care of daily tasks. A strong car accident claim can help recover losses related to these injuries.

Head and Brain Injuries

If a person strikes their head during a motor vehicle accident, they may suffer from concussions or more severe forms of traumatic brain injuries, which can lead to memory problems, speech issues, or mood changes that last a lifetime.

These injuries are especially dangerous because symptoms may not appear right away, yet the long-term effects can be devastating for both the victim and their family. Brain injuries often require extensive care and medical evaluations, and they can affect a person’s ability to work or even live independently. That’s why having an experienced accident lawyer is so important in these cases.

Back Injuries and Spinal Cord Damage

Back injuries from blind spot collisions can range from strained muscles to permanent spinal cord damage, especially when the crash causes a vehicle to spin or roll. Victims may suffer herniated discs, pinched nerves, or fractured vertebrae, which often require ongoing physical therapy or surgical intervention.

In the most serious cases, spinal cord injuries can lead to full or partial paralysis, completely altering a person’s lifestyle and ability to earn a living. These injuries create both physical and emotional burdens, and victims need help dealing with insurance companies and seeking fair compensation for their pain, suffering, and long-term care.

Fatalities in High-Impact or Rollover Accidents

Some blind spot accidents, especially those involving trucks, buses, or high-speed impacts, end in tragedy, with victims losing their lives at the accident scene or shortly after due to complications from their injuries.

These fatal collisions often result in queens car accident lawsuits filed by the surviving family members, who may be dealing with not only grief but also unexpected medical bills, funeral expenses, and the loss of future income. In these cases, a car crash attorney can help file a wrongful death claim and make sure the family gets support during a very difficult time, both legally and financially.

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